Prince Georges Afro-American Newspaper January 16 2016 by AFRO News

January 9, 2016 - January 9, 2016, The Afro-American A1 PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY EDITION

Volume 124 No. 24

JANUARY 16, 2016 - JANUARY 22, 2016

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Baltimore • Three Arrested for Murder of Cyclist

B1 Remembering the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.

Washington

• Obama Fails The Legacy of Alex Haley’s ‘Roots’

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to Speak On D.C. Statehood AP Photo/Suzanne Plunkett, File

Musical legend David Bowie, who died at the age of 69 on Jan. 10, was married to the model, actress and entrepreneur Iman for over 20 years. The secret to their successful marriage? “I think you’ve got to feel hot for each other and respect each other. That’s where it starts,” she told a magazine in 1995. “Also, we are very private so we decided from early on that we will keep the press and editors and everybody out of our house.”

MLK’s Legacy in the Wake of Freddie Gray By Zenitha Prince Senior AFRO Correspondent zprince@afro.com The legacy of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was threaded throughout the 2015 uprising in Baltimore way beyond the parallel between King’s assassination, which sparked the 1968 riots, and the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray while in police custody, the catalyst to last year’s unrest, local leaders say. “One of Dr. King’s last statements before he died was that he feared he had integrated Black people into a burning house. Well, last year, we found the pack of matches,” said the How the AFRO covered the aftermath of Rev. Dr. Jamal Bryant, pastor the riots in 1968. ofEmpowerment Temple AME

Group Says Supreme Court Decisions Could Pushback Civil Rights their focus to examine how an aging and seemingly racially-insensitive Supreme Court body could adversely impact Black communities. Noting While the nation focuses on the the large number of high-stakes upcoming presidential election, Supreme Court cases, scholars and organizations and think tanks around policymakers are concerned the the country, including the Center Court may be shifting to redefine for American Progress, have shifted “equal justice under law” and how it is achieved and enforced. During the “What’s At Stake in This Supreme Court Term” panel discussion, Debo Adegbile, partner with the law firm WilmerHale; Walter Dellinger, former solicitor general and partner, Courtesy photo O’Melveny & Several decisions expected from the Supreme Court Myers; Cynthia in 2016 could potentially impact Blacks in critical Estlund, professor, ways, including destroying gains made during the Continued on A3 civil rights movement.

Church and a national civil rights and justice leader. In fact, half-a-century ago, the pivotal civil and human rights leader practically predicted the peaceful-turned-violent protests that would spark more than 150 fires and see more than 200 businesses damaged. “Dr. King’s legacy speaks directly to what occurred in April because what he talked about in his last writing, {Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?} is exactly what happened,” said Bishop Douglas Miles, pastor of Koinonia Baptist Church and cochairman emeritus of the advocacy group, Baltimoreans United in Leadership or BUILD. He added, “Recent events show how easily we could

Continued on A3

CBC PAC Looks to Increase Black Congress Members By James Wright Special to the AFRO jwright@afro.com There are 46 Black members in the U.S. Congress. The Congressional Black Caucus Political Action Committee wants to increase it to 50. The Congressional Black Caucus, like many political groups, formed a political action committee (PAC) in 1994 to further its aims of increasing the number of Blacks in both the House and the Senate Continued on A3

Court Sets March Hearing on Freddie Gray Witness Dispute By The Associated Press

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com

AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, Pool

Caesar R. Goodson Jr., one of six Baltimore city police officers charged in connection to the death of Freddie Gray, was driving the police van in which Gray suffered a fatal neck injury.

Maryland’s second-highest court has scheduled a March hearing on a dispute that has stalled the murder trial of a Baltimore police officer in the death of Freddie Gray. The Court of Special Appeals said Jan. 12 that it will hear oral arguments March 4 on whether Officer William Porter must testify against Officer Caesar Goodson. Goodson drove the van in which Gray suffered a fatal neck injury. Porter testified at his own trial that he told Goodson that Gray had asked for medical help. Porter’s trial ended in a hung jury. He’s awaiting retrial. The trial judge has ordered Porter to testify against Goodson despite Porter’s assertion that he has a right not to incriminate himself. On Jan. 11, Goodson’s trial was suspended until the matter is resolved.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

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First Black Mayor of San Antonio Looks Ahead to 2016 By AFRO Staff

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Mayor Ivy R. Taylor and her husband Rodney pose for a photo after her “State of the City” address at a North SA Chamber of Commerce luncheon. Personnel matters and transportation needs top the agenda of San Antonio Mayor Ivy Taylor as she enters another year in office. Taylor, 45, became the first African-American to be elected mayor of the city last June when she secured the two-year term in a runoff election. Taylor is the second woman to hold that position. She had previously been serving as San Antonio’s interim mayor since 2014, and prior to that had been a member of the San Antonio City Council since 2009. A native of Queens, N.Y., Taylor, a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority, is from Yale University and received a master’s degree at the University of North Carolina. While in pursuit of her Master’s Degree, she traveled to San Antonio for a 10-week internship, and eventually made the city her home. In an interview with San Antonio ABC affiliate KSAT, Taylor said her plans for 2016 included finalizing negotiations on a new contract with the city’s police and fire unions. She said planning for San Antonio’s future

was also a priority, including addressing transportation needs and expanding workforce development programs. “It’d be pretty easy to just kind of coast but I think if we don’t address things like workforce development, creating that pipeline of skilled talented individuals, and transportation, and also planning for our physical future, then I can’t say for sure that the next generation will be able to enjoy the same quality of life that I’m enjoying right now,” she told the television station. Rhythm and Blues Singer Otis Clay Dies at Age 73 By The Associated Press

(Brandon Dill/The Commercial Appeal via AP)

In this May 10, 2012 photo, Otis Clay sings “Got To Get Back!” with the Bo-Keys on stage during the 33rd annual Blues Music Awards in Memphis, Tenn. Rhythm and blues artist Otis Clay, a hall of fame musician who also was a community activist on Chicago’s West Side, has died. He was 73. Miki Mulvehil (MIH’ke MUHL’-vuh-hill) was the one-time Grammy nominee’s manager. She told The Associated Press that Clay died of a heart attack about 6:30 p.m. Friday. Mulvehil says Clay was preparing an upcoming gospel tour and had been nominated for two Blues Music Awards — one for his album with Billy Price and one for soul blues music artist.

Clay was inducted into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2013. Mulvehil says Clay was not only a great musician but a humanitarian, working on charitable causes. He often performed his 1993 standard, “When the Gates Swing Open” for funerals.

know Sen. Sanders they tend to support him,” Weaver said. “He understands the challenges that African Americans face whether it is the unfair criminal justice system, the fact that Blacks have less wealth than Whites and have more trouble getting credit and their employment status tends to be more unstable.” Sanders Plans Aggressive Sanders is a former mayor Outreach to Black Community of Burlington, Vt., a city which By James Wright comprises a 3.8 percent Black Special to the AFRO population, and has represented Vermont, both in the House and Democratic presidential presently the Senate, a state with contender U.S. Sen. Bernie a Black population of 1 percent. Sanders may be largely unknown Despite the low Black population nationally among African of his state, Sanders has Americans, but said he plans to consistently supported civil rights work hard to win their support legislation and earned a 100 in his quest for the party’s percent rating from the NAACP nomination. in its recent civil rights federal Three top Sanders advisors— legislative report card. campaign manager Jeff Weaver, Sanders traveled to senior strategist Tad Devine and Baltimore on Dec. 8 to tour the the director of African-American predominantly Black Sandtownoutreach, Marcus Fennell— Winchester neighborhood, conducted a conference call on and said he was moved by the Jan. 6 detailing their plans to poverty that he saw. Fennell said reach out to Black voters. Sanders’ concern for African Weaver said former U.S. Americans is genuine. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton “Sen. Sanders thinks that the enjoys a significant advantage Black Lives Matter Movement among Blacks, citing a poll is important,” Fennell said. “He that has her leading Sanders 73 has talked to leaders of the Black percent to 12 percent nationally Lives Matter movement more among Blacks, but said Sanders than any of the other presidential will compete for their vote. candidates of either party.” “We have found that when Over the decades, Black people of all backgrounds get to leaders in the Democratic Party have complained that the first states to hold presidential contests—Iowa and New Hampshire— have small AfricanAmerican populations and candidates don’t talk about Black issues in those places. Iowa will hold its caucus on (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) Feb. 1; New Hampshire Democratic presidential candidate will conduct the first Bernie Sanders walks alongside the Rev. primary on Feb. 9. Jamal Bryant (right) during a walking Weaver said tour of the Sandtown-Winchester Sanders will be neighborhood of Baltimore. different.

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O N T H E 30

T H

A N N I V E R S A RY

M A R T I N LU T H E R K I N G, J R. DAY WE I N V I T E YO U TO J O I N M AC Y ’S I N C E L E B R AT I N G H I S L I F E, L E G AC Y A N D LOV E

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The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 16, 2016

January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

MLK’s Legacy Continued from A1

ignore problems that are staring us right in the face until they explode. And many of us have been warning of the day of unrest to come and were ignored as being whiners and complainers.” In Where Do We Go From Here and other statements toward the end of his life, Dr. King warned that the changes and reforms gained at that point, such as voting rights and the end of outright brutality against Blacks, would be far easier obtained than true equality. “The practical cost of change for the nation up to this point has been cheap. The limited reforms have been gained at bargain prices,” he wrote. White America would be far more intractable when challenged with becoming a “Beloved Community,” where racism is truly ended and every life is valued— mirroring the overarching concern of the modern era Black Lives Matter movement—and changing the underlying system that corralled Black America in slums where widespread poverty, lack of jobs, poor health and underfunded schools were rampant. And the resulting despair and bitterness in Black

recurrences of violence and riots over and over again.” King’s message in those remarks and others around this time signaled a shift in his advocacy that had moved him far beyond the “I Have a Dream” speech, activists said. “King is often made a caricature. They make him into a de-fanged lion, a harmless bobblehead on the

communities would lead them to lash out, King said. “A riot is the language of the unheard,” Dr. King said at Stanford University April 14, 1967 in his “The Other America” speech. “And what is it that America has failed to hear? It has failed to hear that the plight of the Negro poor has worsened over the last few years. It

“I don’t want to get to (the year) 2030 and there’s another uprising because the root causes of economic inequality have not been addressed.” - the Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III has failed to hear that the promises of freedom and justice have not been met. And it has failed to hear that large segments of white society are more concerned about tranquility and the status quo than about justice, equality, and humanity. And so in a real sense our nation’s summers of riots are caused by our nation’s winters of delay. And as long as America postpones justice, we stand in the position of having these

shelf of American history,” said the Rev. Dr. Heber Brown III, pastor of Pleasant Hope Baptist Church and a leader among Baltimore’s newer generations of civil rights and justice activists. “But we have to study Dr. King’s work in the latter part of his life when he was saying let’s boycott Coca Cola and Wonderbread and let’s invest in our own businesses. He got to that point because he was connecting the dots

between economic inequality and the injustices and polices that worked against Black people.” Bishop Miles agreed: “He was offering up an economic agenda as he moved toward the Poor People’s Campaign. That’s why he became dangerous to certain elements of America’s power structure. [But], if we would stop worshipping the plastic saint lifted up for celebration and start listening to the clear message of the prophet we would have been better off as a city, state and nation.” Sadly, the leaders agreed, no one seemed to listen, which is why communities of color rose up in protest in 2015 much as they did 50 years ago. “While a lot of focus was on broken windows and thrown bottles you have to understand the situation in context. People got tired,” added Rev. Brown. “The generational and institutional injustices that persist in Baltimore played a large part in what happened in April.” The leaders said much of Dr. King’s ideas for change back in the ‘60s can inform efforts to reform and rebuild Baltimore today. “We need to revisit some of Dr.

King’s words and make it true to our families and ourselves because it’s almost like we’re reliving the ‘60s,” said Tessa Hill-Aston, president, Baltimore NAACP. “Urban communities across the nation and the federal government must develop a long-term strategy to rebuild urban communities and provide the economic resources necessary to sustain a family,” Miles said, citing King’s suggestion of a guaranteed income for all Americans. Brown agreed, saying applying a Band-Aid to fix Baltimore’s problems would likely lead to more unrest. “The economic analysis King offered is particularly important now. After the unrest, a number of organizations, foundations and politicians found a greater urgency to do something about systemic injustices in the city. But while a lot of money flowed into the city, the paradigm that keep certain groups at the top of the social strata remains untouched,” Brown warned. “I don’t want to get to (the year) 2030 and there’s another uprising because the root causes of economic inequality have not been addressed.”

CBC PAC

Continued from A1

and to back non-Black members who support their agenda. U.S. Rep. Gregory Meeks (D-N.Y.), chairman of the organization, said he wants people who will come to Capitol Hill to “fight for economic growth, prosperity, and justice for all Americans.” “The members of the Congressional Black Caucus are working hard so that polarization in Washington does not further erode America’s middle class and setback progress for generations to come,” Meeks said. “Our 46 members are in some of the strongest leadership positions and have used their influence to make real and significant advancements in policies that put our country in better standing at home and globally, and allow Americans to thrive.” The PAC can donate $5,000 to a candidate during the primary season and $5,000 for the general election. Candidates who have benefitted from the PAC in this election cycle are Will Jawando running in Maryland’s eighth congressional district and California State Sen. Isadore Hall III (D-District 35), who is seeking to represent the Golden State’s 44th district. The PAC has also endorsed California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D) in her bid to replace retiring U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.). Harris welcomed the support. “I am honored to have the support of the Congressional Black Caucus’ Political Action

Committee,” Harris told the {Los Angeles Sentinel}. “I look forward to working closely with its members in Washington as I continue to fight for California families in the Senate.” Ben Branch, executive director of the PAC, told the AFRO that Val Demings, a candidate for Florida’s 10th congressional district, could possibly get the PAC’s support. U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), in her quest to replace retiring Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), is in consideration for the PAC’s support, as well. “Our executive board makes the decisions on who the PAC will get behind and we are in the process of looking at Rep. Edwards’ race,” Branch said. Former Rep. Al Wynn, whom Edwards defeated in the Feb. 13, 2008 Democratic primary for Congress, is on the PAC’s board with Branch along with Reps. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), Hakeem Jefferies (D-N.Y.), Andre Carson (D-Ind.), Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Texas), Terri A. Sewell (D-Ala.), Cedric L. Richmond (D-La.), and former Rep. Steven Horsford. Dr. E. Faye Williams, president and CEO of The National Congress of Black Women, is enthusiastic about the PAC and said it might have been helpful to her a few decades ago. “I am absolutely certain that if CBC PAC was around when I ran for Congress in 1986, I would have emerged victorious,” Williams

said. Williams came within six-tenths of one percent of being the first Black elected to the Congress from Louisiana in the Alexandriabased district at that time. Irregularities were later determined by state election authorities to have stopped Williams from winning the seat. Williams ran in 1988 again for the seat but wasn’t successful. “It’s difficult to defeat an incumbent,” she said. Williams said that members of the Congressional Black Caucus then supported

her by raising and donating money to the campaign as well as making personal contacts on her behalf. “There was no CBC PAC but members of Congress like Mervyn Dymally, Bill Gray, Walter Fauntroy, and Charles Hayes helped me,” she said. Williams said she is encouraged with the development of the PAC, but said it needs to make sure that it is fair and equal in regards to gender. “They need to make sure that they are just as helpful to women candidates as they are to male candidates,” she said.

Supreme Court Continued from A1 New York University School of Law; Priscilla J. Smith, associate research scholar in Law at Yale; and Neera Tanden, president of the Center for American Progress discussed their concerns. {Washington Post} columnist Ruth Marcus moderated. “The premise about the last term is somewhat questionable in that it was seen as a balanced term because it did some progressive things and it did some conservative things, but it actually did nothing that opposed the interests of the Fortune 500,” Dellinger said. “I think it is a very conservative, activist Court and that it is one vote away from invalidating any plan that involves redistribution under a variety of institutional

doctrines.” Dellinger cited the Courts questioning of whether the Affordable Car Act took money from young, healthy individuals to provide for older, sicker people, completely negating the similarities between that platform and social security. In the history of the nation, Dellinger said, there has never been this level of second-guessing of Congress or the court being utilized to examine small defects in otherwise strident local laws in order to bring down decades’ old, previously decided-upon, rulings. “The debate on the Supreme Court is an interesting one, but it seems it is no coincidence to me

that we are talking about cases that would undermine women’s rights, immigrants’ rights, voting rights, public sector unions – the building blocks and foundation of the progressive movement,” said Tanden. “Conservatives are undermining each one of these elements and this is what is at stake with each of these moments and the Court has the potential to place itself at the heart of the political debate.” Michele L. Jawando, vice president, Legal Progress, told the AFRO at the talk that many of the Court’s decisions, while not racist on the surface, will ultimately impact how Blacks fair in 2016 and beyond. “If Court decisions are completely devoid of understanding and do not take into account the real world impact they create, they can, in fact, be interpreted as racist,” she said. “While the Court may be attempting to show that it is being evenhanded with regard to equality and inclusion, they are increasingly making rulings that place African Americans in positions where there is a certain level of invisibility and victimization created by those decisions.”

MAKE A CAREER OF HUMANITY. COMMIT YOURSELF TO THE NOBLE STRUGGLE FOR EQUAL RIGHTS. YOU WILL MAKE A GREATER PERSON OF YOURSELF, A GREATER NATION OF YOUR COUNTRY, AND A FINER WORLD TO LIVE IN. DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, 1959

The DC Lottery honors Martin Luther King, Jr. and the countless African-American heroes who’ve contributed in our journey toward civil rights, equality and freedom.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

January 16, 2016 - January 16, 2016, The Afro-American

Louisiana Theater Shooter Thanks Man Accused of S.C. Black Church Slaying By The Associated Press The mentally unstable gunman who shot up a Louisiana movie theater last summer left a rambling, hate-filled journal in which he called the U.S. a “filth farm,” railed against women, gays and Blacks, and thanked a man accused of killing nine churchgoers in South Carolina for his “wake up call.” The hand-written, 40-page journal released Jan. 13 doesn’t explain why John Russell Houser decided to kill two people and wound nine at a screening of “Trainwreck” last July 23. He didn’t say a word as he opened fire, killing Jillian Johnson, a 33-year-old musician and business owner, and Mayci Breaux, a 21-year-old student. He died from his own gun before anyone could question him. But the contents suggest Houser expected to die, and knew others would read the words he left in his room at a Motel 6. Shortly before the shooting, Houser wrote on the last page that he was leaving the journal “in hopes of truth, my death all but assured.” Houser, a 59-year-old drifter, also shared his “random thoughts” on politics, the news media, the presidential race, the Ten Commandments, his favorite movies and music and his view of the future. “If you have not stood against filth, you are now a soft target,” he wrote on the lined pages of the notebook. “America is in the midst of celebrating filth, and as such they are the enemy,” he later added. Houser described Dylann Roof — a young White man accused of killing nine people inside a historic black church in Charleston that June 17 — as “green but good.” “Thank you for the wake up call Dylann,” he added. Investigators described the shooting in gruesome detail in reports that totaled 589 pages. They determined that Houser entered the theater with a handgun hidden in his pants, and

Lafayette Police Department via AP

John Russel Houser opened fire in a movie theater on July 23, 2015, in Lafayette. In his journals he thanked Dylann Roof, the White man accused of killing nine people in a Black church in S.C. waited several minutes before pulling it out and opening fire. Police swiftly responded, and eventually interviewed 70 witnesses. One described seeing Houser walking down the steps, firing rounds at victims before shooting himself in the head. Another said she heard someone scream “He’s reloading!” before she ran out. Authorities also shared findings of their investigation into Houser’s troubled past. In social media posts, Houser talked

about his political beliefs and “anti-government tendencies,” they noted. “Comments posted in his own writing revealed his ideals and that he had battled his local government and had a hatred for the United States Government. Houser’s interests also included ‘Golden Dawn’ which is a Greek organization with neo-Nazi beliefs,’” one report stated. Houser had a long history of erratic behavior in the Georgia and Alabama communities where he lived before drifting to Lafayette, a city where his uncle had lived decades earlier. In 2008, a Georgia judge ordered him detained for a mental evaluation after relatives claimed he was a danger to himself and others. But that judge did not have him involuntarily committed, which could explain how he passed a federal background check in 2014. He legally bought the .40-caliber handgun he used in the shooting from a pawn shop in Phenix City, Alabama, where he became estranged from his family, lost his businesses and faced eviction from his home. Before he was finally forced out, he ruined the property, pouring concrete into the plumbing and glue into the fixtures, police said. His estranged wife, Kellie Houser, filed for divorce in March 2015, saying he had repeatedly threatened her. Lafayette Police Chief Jim Craft has said Houser visited the theater more than once, perhaps to determine “whether there was anything that could be a soft target for him.” Investigators found wigs and disguises in his room, raising the possibility that he had considered making an escape after the shooting. Police said he did try to blend in with the fleeing crowd, but turned back and killed himself as police approached. “Trainwreck” star Amy Schumer spoke tearfully of the two women killed in the shooting as she urged lawmakers to support a gun control bill sponsored by her second cousin, U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer.

Maryland Man Pleads Not Guilty to Terrorism-Support Charges By The Associated Press A Maryland man arrested on charges he fought on behalf of an al-Qaida-affiliated terror group in Somalia pleaded not guilty Jan. 13 and his lawyer said he will fight the charges. A soft-spoken Maalik Alim Jones, 31, entered the plea in Manhattan federal court to five terror-related charges, including that he trained with and supported al-Shabab, an ultra-conservative Islamic militant group seeking to run Somalia under a strict

interpretation of Shariah law. The plea to charges that could carry a potential life prison sentence came a month after Jones was turned over to U.S. authorities by Somalia authorities who arrested him Dec. 7 as he allegedly tried to get a boat to travel to Yemen. According to court documents, Jones, a U.S. citizen born in Maryland, confessed to FBI agents that he fought Kenyan government soldiers in a battle until he was injured by a missile strike and was taken to a hospital. The FBI said he admitted he

was paid $100 monthly by al-Shabab while he worked for them from August 2011 to December 2015. The FBI said al-Shabab announced it had merged with al-Qaida in 2012. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew DeFilippis told U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe that prosecutors soon would be turning over “extremely voluminous” evidence to Jones’ defense lawyer. The evidence will include FBI summaries of Jones’ statements and electronic media, including videos pulled from computers disk

drives and telephone records. Court documents say Jones was recorded on at least two videos with other al-Shabab fighters. A criminal complaint alleges that the government’s witnesses include a former commander of the group’s foreign fighters, including non-native Somalis. Defense attorney Irving Cohen said outside court he was looking forward to reviewing the evidence on his client’s behalf. “It is what it is,” he said. “We intend to go ahead and fight these charges.” Jones remains held without bail.

January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

Remembering the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. The Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. led a Civil Rights Movement that would change the trajectory of Black livelihood in the United States. During his time of activism against social and political injustices towards minorities and the poor, King confronted an American government and culture that was both racist and full of bigotry. Even though he was disrespected, beaten, arrested and ultimately assassinated for his dream of equality for all people, King remains as a man of peace, hope and change. Below the AFRO highlights King’s work during the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the bombing of his home and the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In 1954, Dr. Martin Luther King came to Montgomery, Alabama for the Montgomery Bus Boycott. At that time, he was only 26 years old. The early success of the boycott forced the White Montgomery population to take action to force Blacks to ride the bus. You cannot force the masses of people to accept injustice or exploitation if they are not afraid. You cannot compel them to buy your boots or do your work. What we have in Montgomery is a sea of color rising. If it has courage and stamina, will it ring? Freely.

AFRO file photo AFRO file photo

King receives a check for $11,000 from the Packinghouse Workers union in 1951.

After the bombing of the King residence in ’56, King was indicted, as well as a number of his followers. King spent a lot of days in jail, and he used that time in a positive fashion. In December of 1956, the Supreme Court said that the segregation of buses in Montgomery was unconstitutional, and shortly thereafter, the leaders of the bus boycott decided to end it.

Scott Henderson

King in Prince Edward County, Virginia in 1962. AFRO file photo

Dr. King could preach what he felt was the message of God, and was a messenger of God concerning the civil rights abuses, particularly in the South. Even though the law was on their side, it wasn’t being enforced. The police, and the elected officials, were not going to budge. The racial hatred that Rev. King confronted was not just in Montgomery. In the spring of 1961, the world became fixated on the Freedom Riders. Their efforts challenged the existing law in Southern states that said blacks and whites could not integrate. The blood flowed and there was black and white blood.

Martin Luther King, Jr. with his daughter Yolanda.

King after delivering the 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.

AFRO file photo

He couldn’t be safe, even among his own people. He had a intervention by God. His biggest victory was the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. With that, most of the things that Dr. King had fought for had come to fruition.

Francis Miller/Life Magazine

AFRO file photo

Letter from Coretta Scott King published in the AFRO on April 18,1970.

King talks to school children.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

COMMENTARY

Fix the D.C. Home Care System As our parents and grandparents age, many are choosing home care services. For some, it’s to get 24/7 care. For others, it’s to get assistance for a few hours a day with bathing, cleaning or cooking so that they can live at home for as long as possible. Yet a lack of oversight in the industry has set off a chain of problems for home care workers who want to deliver the best care Michael Thompson possible. I’ve been a home care provider in D.C. for nearly 10 years, and over that time I’ve cared for D.C. residents from Brookland and Adams Morgan to Southwest Waterfront. Still, even as elected leaders in the District and nationwide call for a strong long-term care system that meets the needs of our seniors, the D.C. industry is imploding. Our city’s home care crisis is reaching a tipping point. If providers, elected officials, employers and the community don’t work together to chart new direction, many seniors won’t have access to the care they need and providers won’t be able to stay in the field and support their families. For too long, D.C. regulators have turned a blind eye to major problems in the home care industry. In the past year alone, we’ve just been lurching from one catastrophe to another. Last year, 13 agencies – including the one I worked for – were suspended during an FBI investigation that uncovered more than $80 million in Medicaid fraud. During the shutdown, many of my co-workers and I continued to care for our clients but went without pay. I lost my home and my car

and feel a continued domino effect. Beyond this fraud, taxpayer-funded home care agencies are stealing the wages of providers. Some pay us below the legally-required living wage and deny us paid sick leave or overtime. In the face of government inaction and a lack of enforcement, home care workers in the city have filed three class action lawsuits alleging $150 million in stolen wages against local agencies. Meanwhile, the D.C. Board of Nursing has failed to re-certify approximately 60% of the District’s home care workers, abdicating responsibility to an industry that often reports conflicting fees, processes or deadlines to its workforce. This situation is unacceptable. Our city’s regulators must ensure that our tax dollars support a fully-functioning home care system and that agencies follow the law rather than take advantage of D.C. residents. Sadly, low wages paid by agencies weaken the workforce. After nearly a decade in the field, I’m paid $13.80/hour. After covering rent, utilities, life insurance, and work supplies, I have $0 left over. Too many home care providers are forced to leave the field because they can’t survive. It’s time we ended pervasive fraud, abuse and neglect in DC’s home care system. We need a reliable home care system that provides seniors with quality care and taxpayers with assurance that regulators are on the job. We need to pay home care workers a living wage of at least $15, so they can provide quality care without living in poverty. We need to make sure

home care workers can come together to fight wage theft and get accurate, clear information about something as simple as re-certification. Real change will require the Board of Nursing and DC city government offices working together with workers, consumers, health advocates and employers to root out problems for good. The health of our seniors and the livelihoods of thousands of providers are at stake. Michael Thompson is a home care provider in the Washington D.C. area with 10 years of experience.

Why D.C.’s Potomac Preparatory Deserves More Time Potomac Preparatory Public Charter School (Potomac Prep) has made great strides improving the academic outcomes of all of its students. Since the start of the 2013-14 school year, Potomac Prep’s student population has remained consistent – an average of 400 students yearly. Amid the schools one-year turnaround initiative and significant challenges to retain the school’s charter with the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB), Potomac Prep welcomed more than 200 new students to its learning community during the 2014-2015 school year. As of SY 2015-2016, Potomac Prep has a total of 74 special education students, which is 17 percent of its total enrollment – a number that is *4.2 percent higher than the national average, when considering schools that do not exclusively serve special need students. Through improved identification and evaluation efforts, all students in need of special education services are provided with an appropriate program developed to meet their individual needs. The Potomac Prep learning community has continued to see double-digit growth in its special education population – in both the number of students and the level of services required by those students. We contend that the astounding increase in our school’s special education population, particularly at a time

Nicholette SmithBligen

when parents and families had an accurate and complete understanding of the school’s charter status but still chose to enroll their children at Potomac Prep, is a clear indication of the success of our turnaround plan. It is also indicative of the strong level of parent and stakeholder engagement and support Potomac Prep has been able to rally since improvements in the school’s academic platform, administrative team, and strengthened mission. To infer that we want the District of Columbia Public Charter School Board (DCPCSB) Executive Director Scott Pearson to “discount scores” is baseless. Potomac Prep is undertaking a school turnaround initiative that highlights not just a local issue, but one that is indeed the nation’s plight – reaching, teaching and inspiring the most in-need students, regardless of their zip code, economic status, or standardized testing capabilities. At Potomac Prep, what we want the DCPCSB to understand is that our school purposefully recruits students from all Wards in the District of Columbia – with the goal of improving their educational outcomes as a result of the positive support, innovative scheduling, personalized attention, and academic mentoring that is provided at our school. Potomac Prep views the “at-risk” label as an “atpromise” proposition. Why? Because our work is guided by the understanding that we cannot shackle our students with unattainable academic bars that exclude the intersection of race

and economics. Our understanding of and dedication to the holistic needs of our students and families drives our work at Potomac Prep. We are seeing the academic and personal growth of all of our students, and we are also continuing to make phenomenal progress with our exceptional learners. Based on the disabilities of the students, we are particularly sensitive to their individual needs. Many of these students have shown significant growth because of our genuine focus on these needs - but not the kind of growth at the rate that was mandated. I find it personally offensive that DCPCBS or anyone else would believe that we would discount any student at Potomac Prep. Our personalized approach to learning moves beyond the franchise management strategies DCPSCB is seeking to absorb the city’s small independent schools. Our fight is truly against the gentrification of D.C.’s educational system through DCPCSB’s lackluster advocacy and feigned support of school’s like Potomac Prep. In truth, DCPCSB never created an environment in which our school, or for that matter our students, could thrive. This is the greatest travesty. Nicholette Smith-Bligen, is a member of the Board of Directors for Potomac Preparatory Public Charter School. The D.C. Charter School Board will hold a hearing on whether or not the school should be shut down on Jan. 14 at 6 p.m. at 4401 8th Street, NE Washington, D.C. 20017.

Black Head Coaches - College Football’s Last Frontier This season’s national college football championship has been decided, but no one knows how much longer we must continue to wait until the head coaching ranks are no longer largely reserved for White males, even those who have been failures at other schools. Although Blacks were 53.4 percent of Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) George E. Curry players going into the 201516 football season, only 13 (10.2 percent) of the head coaches were Blacks, according to The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport (TIDES) at the University of South Florida. Bowling Green State University announced that it has hired Mike Jinks, an associate head coach at Texas Tech University, as its new head coach. With McNeill’s firing and the hiring of Jinks, there are now 10 Black head coaches among the 128 coaches in the Football Bowl Subdivision – less than 8 percent. The 10 Black coaches are: James Franklin, Penn State; Darrell Hazell, Purdue; Curtis Johnson, Tulane; Mike London, Virginia; Derek Mason, Vanderbilt; Trent Miles,

Georgia State; David Shaw, Stanford ; Charlie Strong, Texas; Kevin Sumlin and Willie Taggert, South Florida. Many Black coaches labor for years as assistants before getting a chance at the top job. However, many White coaches who fall from grace quickly get second and third chances. For example, Mike Price was fired for visiting a strip club before he could assume the job as head football coach at the University of Alabama. Still, he was able to land a job as head coach at the University of Texas-El Paso. After it was discovered that George O’Leary lied on his resume at Notre Dame, he was hired as head coach at the University of Central Florida. And Larry Eustachy’s problems at Iowa State included acknowledging that he was “a recovering alcoholic,” but that didn’t prevent him from getting the top job at Southern Mississippi. Some Black coaches have been spectacular yet remain underrated. David Shaw, whose Stanford team trounced Iowa in this year’s Rose Bowl 45-16, is a perfect example. Under Shaw, no Pac-12 program had more players drafted in the past four years, including Andrew Luck, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft. Black coaches in the NFL are often underappreciated. If there were any questions about the skills of Black coaches, they should have been permanently put to rest in 2007 when the Indianapolis Colts, under Tony Dungy, squared off against Lovie Smith’s Chicago Bears in Super Bowl XLI. It was the first time two Black coaches met on football’s ultimate stage.

To its credit, the NFL established the Rooney Rule in 2003 that requires each NFL team to interview at least one minority candidate for each head coaching vacancy. In 2009, the requirement was expanded to include interviews for general managers and similar positions. Unfortunately, universities don’t have a similar requirement. But the problem extends beyond the sidelines, which might explain why it’s so difficult for Black coaches to get a fair shake. As Richard Lapchick, director of The Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, said, “This year’s increase is so discouraging. At a time when almost all colleges and universities say they emphasize diversity and inclusion as core values, the fact is that in the 2015-16 report, 89.8 percent of our presidents were white, 86.7 percent of our athletics directors were white, and 100 percent of our conference commissioners were white. In those positions, 78.9, 79.7, and 90 percent were white men, respectively. Overall, whites held 342 (88.8 percent) of the 385 campus leadership positions reported in this study, which was an increase from 88.2 percent in 2014. Whose America do these statistics reflect?” George E. Curry is President and CEO of George Curry Media. He is the former editor-in-chief of Emerge magazine and the National Newspaper Publishers Association News Service (NNPA). He is a keynote speaker, moderator, and media coach. For more information go to georgecurry.com.

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January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

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The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

Tentative Feb. 22 Deposition Date for Cosby’s Wife By The Associated Press Now that he’s facing criminal charges, Bill Cosby is not expected to be deposed next month in a lawsuit accusing him of defaming seven women who say he sexually assaulted them, lawyers in the case said Jan. 13. But his wife Camille Cosby might end up taking his place. Lawyers in the Massachusetts lawsuit discussed holding off on Bill Cosby’s deposition following the comedian’s Dec. 30 arrest in Pennsylvania for allegedly drugging and sexually assaulting a woman inside his home near Philadelphia in 2004. The criminal charges are the first to be brought against Cosby. Joseph Cammarata, an attorney for the seven women, said he hopes to depose Cosby’s wife on Feb. 22, the day Bill Cosby

had been scheduled to be deposed in the separate civil suit playing out near Cosby’s home in western Massachusetts. But that date, Cammarata said, is contingent on a number of factors, including an appeal Cosby’s lawyers are expected to file challenging U.S. Magistrate Judge David Hennessy’s decision to reject their bid to dismiss the subpoena. The judge on Jan. 13 rejected a proposal by Cosby’s lawyers that would have kept a significant amount of material in the case out of the public eye. Instead, Hennessy proposed more limited protections focused on certain sensitive information that might be disclosed in depositions, such as Social Security numbers, bank accounts and addresses. The proposed order, to be put in writing later this month, would not affect other materials and documents gathered in the pretrial discovery phase. “It was a compromise, and I think it was fair,” Cammarata said after the hearing. “This is an appropriate order protecting what may be legitimate concerns for confidentiality on a question-by-question basis. It’s not a unilateral blanket protection. It’s very limited in scope.” Cosby’s lawyers, who declined to comment after the hearing, initially sought to have all depositions and documents produced during the pretrial discovery phase kept confidential for up to 14 days. Either side would then be allowed to request the judge to seal the records for longer. In court filings, they argued for the broader confidentiality, saying the plaintiffs were seeking “irrelevant and extraordinarily invasive and intimate details” of Cosby’s life and “have made clear they intend to publicize every aspect of discovery in the case.” Among the information they sought was the identities

(AP Photo/Mel Evans, File)

Bill Cosby’s lawyers lost a motion to keep out of the public eye materials gathered as part of a defamation lawsuit filed by several women who claim he sexually assaulted them decades ago. of all Cosby’s sexual partners since 1968 who were not his wife, the dates of the sexual encounters and all Cosby’s medical records over the past 35 years, including those specifically dealing with “erectile and/or other sexual dysfunction, sexual paraphilia and/or sexual fetish,” according to Cosby’s lawyers. Cammarata argued Cosby’s proposal would damage transparency in a case of great public interest. He also said there are valid reasons why he sought Cosby’s medical and sexual histories, including Cosby’s past statements that he obtained quaaludes for various joint and body pains. The seven women are among about 50 across the country who have come forward with allegations that Cosby plied them with drugs and alcohol before sexually assaulting them. He denies the accusations. In other developments, Cosby’s lawyer, Marshall Searcy, said Jan. 13 he might ask for a postponement of the defamation case in light of the Pennsylvania criminal charges. “It’s a new situation. It’s a fluid situation,” he said. “We’re trying to decide on the best approach.” In response, Cammarata asked the judge to set a deadline for when Cosby’s lawyers should move for a postponement, a request the judge took under advisement. The case returns to Worcester court March 23.

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January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

BALTIMORE-AREA

Race and Politics

Looking Back and Looking Forward to Annapolis 2016

Three Arrested for Murder of Cyclist

Baltimore City Police

Senior AFRO Contributor

On Monday, I was speaking with Bobby Marvin Holmes, one of the senior producers of First Edition (also an outstanding young filmmaker and community leader) about show ideas this week. And he said, `We should talk about the open of the 2016 session in Annapolis on Wednesday.’ My response was a combination of genuine surprise, bemusement and mild panic. Damn. Could the 2016 legislative session in Annapolis be set to start already? I distinctly remember the beginning of the 2015 session; there was so much anticipation and (truth be told) anxiety in the days leading up to the open. We had reported consistently and in depth on First Edition about what seemed like the pervasive misconduct of the Baltimore City Police Department. There was the now infamous videotape of Kollin Truss as we say in West Baltimore getting banked by now former police officer Vincent Cosom, while his thug buddies (who I believe remain members of the BCPD!) held Truss’ arms at a bus stop on the corner of North and Greenmount in June of 2014. When the video went public in September 2014, it sparked a firestorm of outrage. The video of the beating also foreshadowed the bombshell investigative report by the Baltimore Sun, which outlined a phalanx of police brutality cases, accented by the bruised and battered faces of mostly Black people on the front page of the newspaper, that led to more than $6 million in payouts by the city to the victims of police officers. Community leaders like Dayvon Love and Adam Jackson of Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, Pastor Heber Brown of Pleasant Hope Baptist church, as well as political leaders like Del. Jill Carter, and the ACLU prepared for a battle to legislate significant law enforcement reform. However, after all the lobbying, rallies and testimony the seemingly insurmountable blue wall Continued on B2

Baltimore Rebuilds

Harlem Park Community Assc. Working to Restore Neighborhood By Tiffany Ginyard Special to the AFRO

Daquan Middleton, 16, Antwan Eldridge, 17 and Prince Greene, 15 are all being charged as adults for the murder of Robert Ponsi. Ponsi was killed in Waverly on Jan. 10. Sean Yoes

By James Bentley Afro Associate Editor On the evening of Jan. 9 Robert Ponsi, 29, a server in Harbor East’s James Joyce Pub was robbed and stabbed to death on his bicycle in the Waverly community. According to reports, officers were called at 9:10 p.m. and found Ponsi stabbed multiple times at the intersection of Venable Avenue and Old York Road. He was later pronounced dead at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Baltimore City Police identified and arrested two suspects in connection with the attack. Two teenagers, Daquan Middleton, 16, of Berea, and Antwan Eldridge, 17, of Ednor Gardens were charged with the crime on Jan. 11. Both males are being charged as adults with murder, armed robbery and assault, police said. Homicide detectives continue looking to identify any other suspects possibly involved in the attack and asked that anyone with information to contact Metro Crime Stoppers. A third arrest was made on Jan. 11, after detectives executed a search and seizure warrant in the 600 block of E. 37th Street. They arrested Prince Greene, 15, of the same block. He has been charged as an adult with 1st degree and 2nd degree murder and related charges. He is currently being held at the Central Booking Intake Facility. Greene is a student at City College High School. The first two suspects both attend Renaissance Academy High School, a charter school in Marble Hill that was on the brink of being closed last year. City Schools CEO Gregory

Thornton ultimately decided to keep the school open after lobbying by the school and the community. Last Nov. a student involved in an altercation was found to have a loaded handgun on school grounds. Then on Nov. 24 Ananias Jolley, a junior at the school, was stabbed repeatedly in a classroom, alledegedly by fellow student Donte Crawford, 17. On Dec. 20 Jolley died and on Jan. 6 Crawford was charged with first degree murder, among other charges. Thornton is now reportedly reconsidering his Nov. 10 decision. Renaissance Principal Nikkia T. Rowe did not respond to a request for comment. After the Nov. stabbing she told reporters, “We don’t need judgment as a school community. What we need is for more people who have a sense of urgency who are passionate about the next generation like my staff to not sit around and judge, but to positively contribute to change the outcome.” Thomascine Greene, a well-known community activist in Waverly, is the mother of Prince Greene, who was arrested in connection with the murder of Ponsi. According to The Baltimore Sun, Greene’s mother was recently at a neighborhood association meeting pleading for more resources. “Every community meeting that we have, I’m talking about the youth,” she said. “With God as my witness, I said, ‘You’re going to wait until somebody gets killed, and have a community center in his name. Let’s not wait. We have to do something for these kids,’” Greene told the Sun. Greene did not respond to a request for comment.

Baltimore Set for 15th Annual MLK Parade By James Bentley jbentley@afro.com Afro Associate Editor On Jan. 18 Baltimore City will pay homage to the life of one of America’s most prominent civil rights leaders and activists, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The celebration will include floats, regional marching bands, steppers, equestrian groups, honor and color guards, cheer and dance squads and military and civic organizations. The parade will be held from noon to 2 p.m. on Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard beginning at the intersection of MLK and Eutaw Street continuing south and concluding at Baltimore Street. The parade is produced and coordinated by The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts and cosponsored with the Mayor’s office, the AFRO, Radio One, The Baltimore Running Festival and OneBaltimore among others. This is a free event. For more information on the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parade, call 410-752-8632 or visit promotionandarts.org.

5 Baltimore Schools to Receive $300K Education Grant By AFRO Staff U.S. Senator Benjamin Cardin (D-MD), along with a representative from the Department of Education, will present a check for $300,000 to five Baltimore City School on Jan. 14. The money is from a grant called Project Serv and is designed to help schools recover from traumatic events. Maryland Congressman Elijah Cummings, Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby, and Dr. Gregory Thornton, CEO, Baltimore City Schools, are scheduled to give remarks. The ceremony will take place at 1:30 p.m. at Matthew A. Henson Elementary School, one of the five recipients. The other four are: Gilmor Elementary, Frederick Douglass High School, William Pinderhughes Elementary/Middle, and Harlem Park Elementary/Middle. Principals from each institution will be on hand. Last June Cardin, along with Councilman Nick Mosby and Marvin “Doc” L. Cheatham Sr., president of the Matthew A. Henson Neighborhood Association, and other participated in a community rountable that was broadcast on C-Span on what to do in the wake of the riots.

There’s a buzz going around Harlem Park that change is coming. But first, members of the Harlem Park West Community Association (HPW) are working to bring some old things back--- like the activism and leadership that helped this neighborhood thrive in its heyday. Harlem Park West Community Association was formed in April 2015, in response to the death of Freddie Gray, an unarmed black male who died in police custody, that same month. The board of directors is mostly comprised of people outside of the community, save the organization’s president, Joy Ross, who purchased her home on Fulton Avenue in 2014. “We just get out there and get things done,” Ross told the AFRO. “We want the people here to know that, in spite of the current structure and conditions, we are people that really care.” Historically, Harlem Park was a mixed-income Black community. Today, the median income is $27,000, the unemployment rate is 51.8%, and about 45% of the community is vacant, according to the 2010 Census. What was once a spiritual and cultural epicenter for Blacks living on Baltimore’s West

Continued on B2

New Political Faces

Mayoral Candidate Embry Stresses Experience Prosecuting Crime By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO Baltimore City mayoral candidate Elizabeth Embry believes that her experience prosecuting some of the city’s most violent and horrific crimes gives her the edge needed to move the city forward. “It’s…having someone who has thought about the problems of the city and looked at how to do things differently. Not just tinker around the edges,” Embry said in an interview with the AFRO. “Really change the way we police. Really (Courtesy photo) addressing the problem that especially young Elizabeth Embry, Black men in parts of the city have no other options than selling drugs,” she said. and her family, “What does that really mean? Sure, we know it, have roots in but what does that mean that the city is spending Baltimore. money, the city is investing in job training and bringing businesses to neighborhoods, making sure that there’s transportation from Sandtown and Cherry Hill to the job centers. Being focused on the disparities of the city and how to address them across policy areas and having that be front and center in everything that the city does.” Embry said that she would be rolling out detailed plans about what she would do as mayor in the coming weeks. Embry was a Deputy State’s Attorney under former City State’s Attorney Gregg L. Bernstein. She also worked for the Mayor’s Office Continued on B2

2016

Past 7 days Data as of Jan. 13

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

Race and Politics Continued from B1

of the Fraternal Order of Police proved to be more than formidable. By the end of the 2015 session, not one piece of legislation aimed at law enforcement reform was passed. A few days after the end of the session, Freddie Gray was murdered while in police custody and then the uprising erupted while the nation and the world watched. By the end of 2015 Baltimore witnessed our most murderous year ever. So, the 2016 stage is set in Annapolis. Yet, there is a reason for hope in the minds of some because of the efforts of The Public Safety and Policing Work Group (made up of Democratic and Republican members of the Maryland House and Senate), which convened over the summer and came up with a list of 22 recommendations earlier this week. “These are recommendations that are going to turn into legislation according to (Delegate) Curt Anderson and (Senator) Catherine Pugh,” said veteran journalist Stephen Janis of the Real News Network and regular contributor to First Edition. He spoke to both veteran lawmakers this week. “These are recommendations...that will be introduced as the Speaker and Senate President’s bill, their bills, coming from the two most powerful positions in the legislature. So, this is not just pie in the sky stuff, they’re serious about this,” Janis added.

Indeed, Senate President Mike Miller and House Speaker Michael Bush appointed the bipartisan task force after April’s uprising and promised there would be law enforcement reform in Maryland. Among the group’s 22 recommendations are three suggested amendments to the Law Enforcement Officer’s Bill of Rights (LEOBR), the strongest set of law enforcement protections in the country. The proposed changes include cutting the waiting time for police officers accused of misconduct to speak to investigators from 10 days to five, alleged victims of police brutality would have a year to file a complaint, versus the current 90 day window, and striking down a state law that prevents citizens from serving on police trial boards. Not surprisingly, the Fraternal Order of Police is opposed to the proposed changes. Ironically or in perfect alignment with the Universe (depending on your perspective) , the 2016 legislative session in Annapolis will end right around the same time as the one year anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray, the uprising and the trials of the police officers charged with his death. And all eyes will be on Baltimore once again. Sean Yoes is a senior contributor for the AFRO and host and executive producer of First Edition, which airs Monday through Friday, 5-7 p.m. on WEAA 88.9.

Harlem Park Continued from B1

However, the association’s biggest the work is empowering and educating the residents on how to challenge so far has been boosting morale make change in their community, one household at a time. among the residents--people who, by “We just do,” Ross said. “We are teaching people to own and large, are scratching to survive and their responsibility as citizens. We don’t need another piece of have lost faith in authority figures like legislation or proposal to get out there and do what needs to be the government and the police. They are done.” all too familiar with broken promises-One of the strongest partnerships HPW has is with A Step one being the “miracle interstate” project Forward (ASF), a community outreach organization that focuses that was supposed to connect I-70 to on getting people off the streets by providing housing and downtown, now known as “the highway support services for individuals who are homeless, reentering to nowhere,” and most recently the Red the community following incarceration, recovering from Line project, canceled by Gov. Larry substance abuse or facing other life-altering challenges. Hogan last year. These were projects that “We work closely with the neighborhood association to would have brought major redevelopment try to utilize our resources to help assist in any way,” Lela and restoration to Harlem Park and the Campbel, ASF’s founder and executive director, told the AFRO. surrounding communities, but instead the “The clients we serve participate in trash pick up, assist with the blight continues. door-to-door campaigns, and have a general commitment to this “I know it sounds cliché, but the power community.” (Photo by Tiffany Ginyard) really rests with the people. It always has Harlem Park West has also joined hands with BUILD Population loss and vacancy are the biggest problems facing Harlem Park. and it always will,” board member Ronald (Baltimoreans United in Leadership Development), TRF side is now an eyesore. Vacant lots are littered with bulk trash, Bailey, said. Bailey has been a community Development Partners, the Sports Mentor’s Association, Roots blocks of abandoned properties draw criminal activity, and organizer for over 20 years and has strong ties to Harlem Park. and Branches Charter School and Kirby Lane Association. desolate playgrounds give an air of hopelessness. This has been His role on the HPW board is to organize resources through “Last year we set out to make positive change in Harlem the scene in Harlem Park for decades too long. partnership development. “I know the potential this community Park West,” said Ross, “and it’s already happening.” In just eight short months, HPW have made great strides on has, I grew up here. And I refuse to lay down and play dead.” the home front. The beautification process is well underway-Ross and her team say scheduled neighborhood clean up days have brought residents they are no longer waiting out of their homes and closer together; trees are sprouting from for things to turn around. The green spaces that were once vacant lots covered in concrete; Continued from B1 goal this year is to engage and solution-oriented conversations are being held at least residents in what has already of Criminal Justice and at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation. She twice a month at the Harlem Park West Community Association been started, and build more currently serves as Chief of the Criminal Division for the Attorney General – a job she is on meetings. momentum from there. Part of leave from as she runs for mayor. She said that her experiences gave her the chance to see what happens when the system fails. “I’ve seen what can work, but what I’ve also seen in the criminal justice system is what happens when every system does not work. To me, the criminal justice system is what you see when everything fails. And as a prosecutor -- I did overwhelmingly violent crimes, victim crimes -- and so you’re dealing every day with victims and witnesses who are telling you these unbelievable stories of pain.” She also thinks that her past work gives her the management experience needed to run the city effectively. She said that under Bernstein, she helped run an office of over 400 employees. “We pretty significantly restructured around community prosecution, created a major investigation unit,” she said. She said they also created a conviction integrity unit that specialized in taking a second look at claims of innocence. “I think management is management. There’s nothing more complicated than being mayor, but I do think being a good manager is important and that means finding the best possible people from city government, from outside, from business, from nonprofits – finding the greatest people in the city and putting them in positions of leadership. Not just at the top levels but moving down. I’ve worked in government so I know there’s tremendous people already there, you just have to celebrate them,” she said. Like many of the men and women running for mayor, Embry said that it is time for a change. “We have some real big problems in the city. We have the highest rate of violence in the city’s history. We have a school system that despite some really hard-fought gains is really stumbling right now administratively to maintain those gains and to further grow and to replicate some of the best practices that are going on in schools. And our housing problem, despite some really good efforts by the city is going in the wrong direction,” she said. “So we have these big problems and we’re losing a little bit of ground instead of moving forward and we have to be moving forward quickly and aggressively.” If Embry’s name sounds familiar, it’s because her father, Robert C. Embry, is a former Baltimore City Housing Commissioner and also former chairman of the Baltimore City School Board. Her mother, Mary Brilliant Food. Brilliant Wine. Brilliant Company. Ann Mears, is a local artist and works to promote arts education. Embry said that her roots mean she’s even Executive Chef Brian Boston more tied to the city of Baltimore. “2011 Chef of the Year” “I love this city. I’ve spent by the Restaurant Association of Maryland my life here. I was born and raised in Baltimore. And I’ve spent my career in public Open for lunch Monday through Friday, service and city government and state government,” she dinner every evening and brunch on Sundays said. “There’s so many things 14833 York Road, Sparks, MD 21152 that are right and positive in the city – institutions, p 410.771.4366 f 410.771.4184 www.miltoninn.com community leaders, schools - so many things that are going right. But city hall is sort of a vacuum in the center of a lot of great things that are going on. They really need leadership in city hall that’s telling the good stories, bringing people together around the problem, the common solution. We need that center there.”

Embry Stresses Experience Prosecuting Crime

January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

By Valerie Fraling “Any time women come together with a collective intention, it’s a powerful thing. Whether it’s sitting down making a quilt, in a kitchen preparing a meal, in a club reading the same book, or around the table playing cards, or planning a birthday party, when women come together with a collective intention, magic happens.” -Phylicia Rashad “I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.” -Khalil Gibran “Calling all Deltas to the floor got some here but we need some more” Deltas everywhere celebrated the anniversary of the founding of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, which began on the campus of Howard University on Jan. 13, 1913 when 22 likeminded women realized their vision. These collegiate women; Osceola McCarthy Adams, Marguerite Young Alexander, Winona Cargile Alexander, Ethel Cuff Black, Bertha Pitts Campbell, Zephyr Chisom Carter, Edna Brown Coleman, Jessie McGuire Dent, Frederica Chase Dodd, Myra Davis Hemmings, Olive C. Jones, Jimmie Bugg Middleton, Pauline Oberdorfer Minor, Vashti Turley Murphy, Naomi Sewell Richardson, Mamie Reddy Rose, Eliza Pearl Shippen, Florence Letcher Toms, Ethel Carr Watson, Wertie Blackwell Weaver, Madree Penn White and Edith Motte Young used their collective strength to promote academic excellence and to provide assistance to those in need. Today Delta women continue the mission of its founders with chapters throughout the world.

“Get well cards have become so humorous that if you don’t get sick you’re missing half the fun.” -Flip Wilson Jr.

Sending get well wishes to Afro executive Diane Hocker, Napoleon Sykes and Sylvester “Bimp” France “I don’t know where I’m going from here, but I promise it won’t be boring.”-David Bowie

Sending condolences to the family of Earl Jordan on his death; to the family of Rashieda Hopewell on her death and to Michael Bruce on the death of his sister Karen Bruce. “I refuse to accept the view that mankind is so tragically bound to the starless midnight of racism and war that the bright daybreak of peace and brotherhood can never become a reality... I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word.”-Martin Luther King, Jr.

“I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... and try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party.” -Ron White

We will remember the year 2015 for the impact it had on our life and the city we love. It will be hard to erase the images that flashed daily across the media in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray and the indictment of the 6 police officers charged for his death. The images of the National Guards patrolling our streets, reminding us that “the chickens had come home to roost,” these were images that we used to see on the evening news happening on the other side of the world not here in downtown Baltimore. We witnessed a police officer gun down an unarmed citizen in South Carolina and fabricating a story in the midst of committing the murder. We were comfortable that what was happening in other states could never happen here in our city where we know our elected officials on a first name basis and they know us. A city that is the home of the Star Spangled Banner, Thurgood Marshall, Billie Holiday and the Super Bowl Ravens and saw the second jewel of the Triple Crown winner at the Preakness.

Our host Sarah George Holly floated down the winding staircase at her elegant Eutaw Place mansion wearing a floor length red halter gown, to greet her guests, signaling the beginning of her lavish party. Guitarist Rodney Kelly and a slamming DJ kept the dance floor hot while entertaining guests.

In the aftermath of it all Baltimore came together to heal. Although the images will remain and the facts will prevail we take solace knowing that in the words of Sam Cooke, “A change is gonna come,” and with the dawning of 2016 we have dreams of hope and healing. Happy New Year!

This is the 13th year for this most sought out invitational black tie party attended by guests from New York, Chicago, Virginia, New Jersey and Maryland. Guests enjoying the festive evening were Claudia McKee, Pat Thomas, Dr. Charlene Cooper-Boston, Vhonda Lewis, Comptroller Joan Pratt, Audrey, Gaines Lansey, Anthony Jones, Pat Tunstall, Brenda Baker, Leroy Jackson, Jackie Robinson, Ray Halston, Michele Burroughs, Stacey Duncan-Grace, Randy Carroll, Lafayette Carr, Shirley Wafford- Evans, Salima Marriott, Senator Cathy Pugh, Roxanne Williams, Susan Parker, Jesse Murphy, Charles Clark, Arthur Bailey, Diane Bowe, Edward Tyler and Tony Brothers dined on an exquisite menu prepared by Chef Jerome.

Aleuta Continua (the struggle continues). Valerie and the Friday Night Bunch

“In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.”-Khalil Gibran SNAC by Nancy’s was the gathering spot on the afternoon of Jan. 9 for Women for Dixon hosted by Wanda Watts, Laura Byrd, Gladys Bragg, Ronda Brunson, Rev. Regina Clay, Jacqueline Cornish, Delegate Cheryl Glenn, Anita Graham, Denise Gray, Louise Green, DeLois Jeffers, Kenya Jones, Tammy Lunn, Salima Marriott, Tania Martinez-Ramos, Adrienne Morrow, Patricia Tunstall, Diana Winkler, Debi Young and Yolanda Winkler to honor Baltimore mayoral candidate Sheila Dixon. The women enjoyed tasty hors d’oeuvres along with an afternoon of laughter and fun. Every day I feel is a blessing from God; and I consider it a new beginning. Yeah, everything is beautiful.” -Prince Happy birthday Ann Winder, Wendell “Pete” France, Candes Daniels, Dorothy “The Queen” Williams, my sister Cheryl Johnson, Jo Lewis, Harold Darden, Michaun Carney, Darnell Moses, Sheila Sinkler, Dr. Cynthia Neverdon- Morton, Jean Johnson, Marjorie Price, Dr. Nina Rawlings, and Murnell Cooper on her 94th birthday.

BALTIMORE AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Send your upcoming events to tips@afro.com. For more community events go to afro.com/ Baltimore-events. 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner The 28th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards Dinner will be held Jan. 15 at 6 p.m. at La Fontaine Bleue, 7514 Ritchie Hwy, Glen Burnie, MD 21061. The MLK Jr. Awards Dinner is presented by the Annapolis based Martin Luther King Jr. Committee. For more information go to mlkcskmd.org. Celebrating the Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. DeWayne Wickham, the founding dean of the School of Global Journalism & Communications and Distinguished Professor of Journalism at Morgan State University, will give The Pratt Library’s annual King Commemorative Lecture on Jan. 16 at 2 p.m. The event will be held at the Waverly Branch Library, 400 E. 33rd St., Baltimore, MD 21218. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Day Speaker Melissa W. Bartholomew, JD, M.Div., and the granddaughter of Rev. Marcus G. Wood, who was a classmate of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., will speak at The Men’s Fellowship of Providence Baptist Church. Mrs. Bartholomew is a former Assistant Attorney General in Seattle, Washington and a Christian minister. The event will take place at 10 a.m. on Jan. 16 at 1401 Pennsylvania Ave., Baltimore, MD 21217. For more information call 410-523-7000. ‘Year of the Black Male’ The Reginald F. Lewis Museum launches 2016 as the “Year of the Black Male.” This theme will thread through the museum’s exhibitions and special programs throughout the year. The initiative will kick off during MLK Weekend, Jan. 16 through Jan. 18. Museum visitors can enjoy special $5 admission at any time during MLK Weekend. For more information on the Reginald F. Lewis Museum call 443 (2631800) or visit lewismuseum.org. D.I.V.A.S. for Dr. King Concert Triumph Community Church will recognize three women from the community during its annual “D.I.V.A.S. for Dr. King” concert on Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. at Triumph Community Church, 425 W. Monument St., Baltimore, MD 21201. For more information contact Pastor Michael Franklin, Triumph Community Church, at 443-804-4727 or michaelfranklin@gmail.com 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast The Kings Landing Women Service Club will host their 41st Annual Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Breakfast, Jan. 18, from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Martin’s West, 6817 Dogwood Road, Baltimore, MD 21244. Dwight “D” Watkins, Lecturer, Coppin State Professor and author of “The Beastside” will speak. For more information go to kingslandingwomen. com.

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For these pictures and more go to afro.com/slideshows.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

The Nevermore Masquerade Ball, sponsored by Caring Communities a non profit 501(c) organization, was held at the Radisson North Baltimore on

Dec. 31, 2015. Entertainment was provided by The White House Band, DJ Mr. Bow Tie and The Three Piece Suit, DJ P-Chris, DJ P-Drama, DJ Janella Abidar, The DystRucXion Dancers, Comedian Mike Finazzo, Drew Stevyns, Fanatsy Artz and Jahiti of Brown Fish. Caring Communities was founded by Mona Freedman, RN and it operates in Northern Virginia, D. C. and Maryland. Event Sponsor, Mona The mission of the organization is to offer Freedman ( Exec. Dir. disability-related training, education, and Founder) Caring publications and events to benefit persons Communities with disabilities. This year’s theme was inspired by the imaginary life of Edgar Allen Poe.

Jessie Perkins and Bryan Opitz Fancy Dancing Ravens super fan Capt. Dee-Fence It’s midnight!

Ronald Landrum, Kim Landrum, Louis Torbit and Kinika Torbit Kelli Jones, Marcy Crump (Flywire Magazine) and Shanna Marshall

The White House Effect Band

Marcy Crump, LaRian Finney, Azikwe DeVeaux, Aaron Green and friends

Derrick Chase, D. Sewell and Azikwe “Zik” DeVeaux

Raven Benjamin, Mirella Arias and Kiara King

Photos by Anderson Ward

Shawon Reed, Keion Carpenter and Tracy Wright

Photos by Anderson Ward

Co-Sponsors: Paul Gardner, Marcy Crump (Flywire), Keion Carpenter (CEO Carpenter House) and LaRian Finney (CEO Finn Group)

Special Delivery celebrated its 8th year on Dec. 17, 2015. The popular toy drive was hosted by Paul Gardner, Keion Carpenter, Marcy Crump, LaRian Finney and friends. The drive was held at The Horse Shoe Casino in Baltimore, MD. This drive supports The Carpenter House, programs for single moms and after school tutoring programs. The music entertainment was provided by The Band “Why Lie”, DJ 5 Starr, Lil Black (92 Q Radio) DJ Wild Child DNA and Rapper Darryl “Money” Wheeler.

Monique Jones Konan (92 Q Radio) and Lana Rae

DJ 5 Starr

Travis Winkey and Richard Brunson Calvin Morris, Montess Jackson and Krista Greaves

Toys Collected by Special Delivery Quiana Washington and Vashon Smith

Kevin Parson and Paul Gardner Brandon Grooms and Rapper Darryl “Money” Wheeler

Jennifer Campbell (COO Carpenter House), Keion Carpenter (CEO Carpenter House) and Sen. Catherine Pugh

Lil' Black (92 Q Radio)

Darrell Osborne (Topkats Group) and Daniel Osborne

The band “Why Lie”

Lion#4Rio, Chyna (Miss Trinidad), Shaquetta Lawrence, Danielle Veney, Travis Winkey, Kelly Ward and Richard Brunson

Paul Gardner and former Mayor Sheila Dixon

To see more of these photos and purchase them visit afro.com/slideshows. To purchase this digital photo page contact Takiea Hinton: thinton@afro.com or 410.554.8277.

January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

ARTS & CULTURE

Baltimore Stage

Everyman Theatre’s ‘Under the Skin’ Tackles the Ties that Bind

Baltimore native Keith LeRoyal (right) with actor Mitchell Hébert in ‘Under the Skin.’ By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO When actress Alice Gatling first read the script for “Under the Skin,” the play starting at Everyman Theatre January 20, she says she threw it across the room. Gatling was part of the original cast of the play, written by Michael Hollinger, which first premiered at the Arden Theatre Company in Philadelphia. “I went and picked it up and I’d read it and say ‘No!’ And then I was like, ‘Who is this guy that would write this?’ I walked into that rehearsal for the reading saying ‘And who are you? Because I need to know. Who is Michael Hollinger? I need to know.’” On the surface, “Under the Skin” is a play about a man in need of a kidney. But, it’s also a play about family, about friendship and the ties that bind people together. As the story unfolds, there are

twists and turns that will surprise audiences. Gatling said that besides the shocking turns that the story takes, there were other things about the play that captured her attention. “It made me think about something I never thought about before. I never thought about organ donation. Ever. There is no one in my family that has needed an organ it has just not been on my radar and all of a sudden, I found myself caring about individuals who are in need of organs and what needs to be done in that capacity. What do we all have a capacity to do to help?” “The other thing that it was about was relationships…my mind went in a hundred different directions trying to figure out the relationships.” Baltimore native Keith LeRoyal portrays Jarrell, a young man with a promising future who must deal with some major truths uncovered in the play. Jarrell is raised by his tough but loving mother Marlene, portrayed by Gatling. “Jerrell and Marlene have this relationship that comes out of this really tough past and this really complex life,” LeRoyal said. “You get an opportunity to see someone from that environment being shown in a light that you don’t often see, where he went to Princeton and he is a more altruistic character that pretty much presents himself with an openness and an open heart and open mind throughout this whole piece. I felt really inspired by that as a young actor of color who sees scripts and projects time and time again that show us in the opposite light.” He said the play also delves into the complex issue of fatherlessness. “That’s something really special that we’re bringing to the table -- Michael’s bringing to the table. Because I mean I know in the city of Baltimore growing up I can’t tell you the number of different ways I’ve seen my friends and family respond to fatherlessness.” “I just think it’s a great opportunity when you can put something on the stage that an audience can relate to in the way that I think audiences in Baltimore will be able to relate. To just get the conversation started in their own heads in another way that it may not have before, or to start a conversation in their families that hasn’t started before.” Overall, he said, it’s a play about forgiveness. “No matter who you are and where you are, you can relate to having reached a point in your life where in order for you to move forward to be the best version of yourself, you have to make peace with something in your life and maybe forgive somebody who’s really hard to forgive. And all these characters have a moment where they have to do that.” “Under the Skin” runs until Feb. 21 at the Everyman Theatre, 315 W Fayette St, Baltimore, Maryland 21201.

Film Review

‘Sweaty Betty’ Takes ‘Babe’ to the ‘Hood’ By Kam Williams In 1965, the federal government issued the historic Moynihan Report chronicling the collapse of “The Negro Family” which it blamed on a host of social woes afflicting inner-city Black communities. A half-century later, Blacks and Whites still remain substantially separate and unequal. Evidence of the disparity (Courtesy photo) abounds in “Sweaty Betty,” a ‘Sweaty Betty’ is about life in the inner city. There is also super-realistic buddy flick set a pig. in a Prince George’s County, Maryland ghetto located in the shadow of the nation’s capital. There, we find a cornucopia of colorful characters inhabiting a den of iniquity that it’s hard to believe exists, but obviously does. The stars of this must-see adventure are Rico and Scooby, a couple of uneducated, unemployed, unmarried single-fathers. To call the pair actors would be far too generous, since

they’re obviously simply playing themselves. That makes it difficult to discern whether one is watching a comedy or a documentary, although that dilemma only adds to the quirky picture’s appeal. Everybody on their block speaks such inscrutable Ebonics that directors Joseph Frank and Zachary Reed had the good sense to use subtitles, despite the fact that the entire cast is speaking in English. The dialogue is not only grammatically-incorrect but is invariably delivered laced with expletives and the N-word. And the conversations are precisely what one might expect of 20-ish baby-daddies with nothing better to do all day than hang out on the street. One minute, our heroes are commiserating about the burdens of fatherhood, the next, they’re shamelessly flirting with a couple of cute honeys passing by. Meanwhile, their neighbors appear to be equally rudderless, as they spend their time boasting, twerking, mugging for the camera and/or engaging in meaningless chatter. Oh, “Sweaty Betty” does have a rudimentary plot, which revolves around a couple of pets: a pig named Charlotte, and a pit bull the protagonists can’t decide what to call: Cocaine, Killer or Petey (since it looks like the pooch on “The Little Rascals”). These wannabe entrepreneurs have been raising the hog in the ‘hood with hopes of having it become the mascot of the Washington NFL team. So, on home gamedays, they drive the half-ton oinker to the stadium via pickup truck to participate in all the parking lot hoopla. Unfortunately, it eventually comes to the attention of the local animal control officer that somebody’s raising a farm animal in a residential neighborhood. But don’t be fooled. “Sweaty Betty’s” storyline is inconsequential, at best. Yet, it remains highly recommended for cinematic voyeurs who like laughing from a safe distance at the outrageous flamboyance of a hot ghetto mess.

Hall of Fame, Former New York Giant Star Baseball Player, Monte Irvin Dies at 96 By The Associated Press Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, a power-hitting outfielder who starred for the New York Giants in the 1950s in a career abbreviated by major league baseball’s exclusion of Black players, has died. He was 96. The Hall of Fame said Irvin died the evening of Jan. 11 due to natural causes at his Houston home. Irvin was 30 when he joined the Giants in 1949, two years after Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier. Irvin spent seven of his eight big league seasons with the Giants and one year with the Chicago Cubs in 1956. A native of Haleburg, Alabama, Irvin played in the Negro, Mexican and Puerto Rican leagues during his 20s. Irvin batted .300 or more three times with a high of .329 in 1953. He finished with a career average of .293 with 99 homers and 443 RBIs, numbers that would have surely been far higher if not for the game’s racial segregation. “Today is a sad, sad day for me,” said Hall of Famer Willie Mays, a teammate of Irvin’s with the Giants. “I lost someone I cared about and admired very, very much; someone who was like a second father to me. Monte was a kind of guy that you had to be around to get to know. But once you became friends, he always had your back. You had a friend for life. “Monte Irvin was a great left fielder. Monte Irvin was a great man. I will miss him. There are no words for how I feel today. I could say so much more about Monte, but this is not so easy to do right now.” Irvin was one of the most important contributors during the Giants’ amazing pennant drive in 1951 when they overtook the Brooklyn Dodgers after trailing by 13 1/2 games in mid-August. Irvin batted .312 with 24 homers and an NL-leading 121 RBIs. That year Irvin teamed with Hank Thompson and Mays to form the first all-black outfield in the majors. He finished third in

the NL’s MVP voting. Irvin was rewarded with a contract estimated at $25,000, a pay raise of almost 100 percent. Unfortunately for Irvin he could not repeat his 1951 season in ‘52. On April 2 in an exhibition game against the Cleveland Indians in Denver, he suffered a compound fracture and dislocation of the right ankle after a hard slide into third base. Four months later, Irvin (AP Photo) was back in action. In 1954 Hall of Famer Monte Irvin, he helped the Giants sweep a power-hitting outfielder Cleveland to win the World who starred for the New Series. York Giants in the 1950s Irvin’s days in a Giants in a career abbreviated by uniform came to end on June major league baseball’s 24, 1955, at the age of 36, exclusion of Black players, when his contract was sold has died. He was 96. to Minneapolis of the minor leagues. He played one final year in the majors with the Cubs before retiring in May 1957 while with Los Angeles of the Pacific Coast League. Commissioner Rob Manfred called Irvin a leader during a transformational era for baseball. “Monte loved our game dearly, bridged eras of its history and touched many lives,” Manfred said. “Major League Baseball will forever be grateful to courageous individuals like Monte Irvin.” After his retirement from baseball, Irvin worked as a scout for the New York Mets and on the public relations staff of a

brewery. On Aug. 21, 1968, Irvin made history when baseball Commissioner William D. Eckert named him assistant director of public relations for baseball, becoming the first Black chosen to an executive position in professional baseball’s hierarchy. Later, Irvin was named special assistant to Commissioner Bowie Kuhn. In 1973, Irvin was elected to the Hall of Fame by the Negro League Committee. On Aug. 6, 1973, Irvin entered the Hall along with pitcher Warren Spahn and outfielder Roberto Clemente, who months earlier died in a plane crash. “My only wish is that major league fans could have seen me when I was at my best ... in the Negro Leagues,” Irvin said. “I sincerely believe I could have set some batting records comparable to DiMaggio, Mays, Aaron, Williams — 600 or 700 home runs, that type of thing.” During his tenure in the commissioner’s office, Irvin attended many baseball gatherings and was often seen at the ballparks around the major and minor leagues. Despite retiring before the Giants moved to San Francisco, Irvin kept ties with the organization. He had his number retired in 2010, was one of several Hall of Famers to throw out a ceremonial first pitch later that season at the World Series and went to the White House last summer when San Francisco’s 2014 World Series championship team was honored. “Monte was a true gentleman whose exceptional baseball talent was only surpassed by his character and kindness,” Giants CEO Larry Baer said. “He was a great ambassador for the game throughout his playing career and beyond. As the first Giant and one of the first African-American players to help integrate Major League Baseball, he served as a role model and mentor to so many who followed in his footsteps — including Willie Mays.” Irvin is survived by daughters Patricia Irvin Gordon and Pamela Irvin Fields and two granddaughters.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

Book Review

‘Alex Haley: And the Books that Changed a Nation’ Fleshes Out the Man Behind ‘Roots’ By Lisa Snowden-McCray Special to the AFRO

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In downtown Annapolis, near the Annapolis Harbor, sits a statue of author Alex Haley. He is depicted as a kindly grandfather, telling children of various racial backgrounds an amusing story. Leading up the statue are a series of metal plaques with quotes from the book that links Haley to Annapolis – ‘Roots.’ In his book, “Alex Haley: And the Books that Changed a Nation,” writer Robert J. Norrell fleshes out the man behind both “Roots” and “The Autobiography of Malcom X,” – Haley’s most well-known works. Norrell relies on detailed research to paint the picture of a man who grew from a somewhat ambivalent teenager to a dedicated journalist and writer. He presents Haley as a real person – a writer plagued by money problems. One who struggled to meet his deadlines. He presents Haley as a man so singular

in his quest to become a better writer that two of his marriages suffered. He also presents a man who developed tight bonds with men and women who are still revered today – like Malcolm X, Martin Luther King and Muhammad Ali. What readers who only know Haley for “Roots” or “Autobiography” might not know is that Haley was also responsible for a great number of hard-hitting magazine interviews with some of the greatest movers and thinkers of his time. “He shaped the racial sensibilities of more Americans than any other writer, black or white,” Norrell writes in the book’s prologue. “Although he was not himself a black nationalist, his works, more than any other writing, gave texture and substance to black nationalism. Haley and his work deserve to be recognized as seminal influences on black identity and American thought about race.” Norrell spends a good deal of time on how Haley was able to get better and better at his craft, putting himself in the position to meet and interview the charismatic and controversial Malcolm X. He details how the two men crafted X’s story together and became close friends through the writing of the book. But, perhaps most importantly, Norrell shines new light on accusations that parts of “Roots” were untrue that cast a shadow over the book to this day. Norrell writes that Haley first heard of his ancestors from his Aunt Liz, who would tell tales of “The African” who came to the United States via “’Napolis.” The stories never left Haley and later, after the success of “Malcolm X,” Norrell writes that he was anxious to start a project about his own family. But it wouldn’t be easy. When he began working on “Roots,” Norrell writes, Haley was charting unknown territory. There was very little available in the way of African history and so Haley was forced into deep research and the use of oral history to trace his family’s tale. That research took years – Norrell writes that Haley’s publishers were beyond frustrated by how late the book actually was – and carried him all the way to Gambia to meet the people Haley hoped were part of the earliest part of his family tree. Norrell is exhaustive in his retelling of how the book came to be. He gives a few reasons why critics may think “Roots” was more fiction than fact. Those reasons include Haley’s self-described flare for dramatic storytelling over straight journalistic reporting, the many revisions the book went through and the way that Haley took notes while researching. “Haley used the neologism “faction,” a blend of historical information and imagined thoughts and conversations,” Norrell writes. Norrell, a White professor based in North Carolina, has written several books about the Black experience. He has also written about Booker T. Washington and the Civil Rights movement in Tuskegee. If there is anything off-putting in the book, it is that Norrell is perhaps too exhaustive in his detailing of Haley’s life. His passages about Haley’s time with Malcolm X can sometimes make the reader feel like they have left a biography about Haley and wandered into one about Malcolm X. And there is so much information about “Roots” that it’s possible for the reader to feel as overwhelmed by its sheer volume as Haley might have felt sifting through his own research when he was writing his book. Overall, however, Norrell has crafted a fascinating story about a flawed but talented writer who captured an important part of Black American history.

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January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

MD Family Adds Another Boxing Olympian To Its Roster

(Photo by Bill Mackey) Gary

Gary Antuanne Russel of Capital Heights, MD won the 141 lb division at the U.S. Olympic Boxing Trials to win a place on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team. By Mark F. Gray Special to the Afro If your name is Gary Russell and you are a boxer from Capital Heights, Maryland falling in line and dropping opponents is second nature. Under the tutelage of Gary Russell, Sr. four brothers – Gary Russell, Jr., Gary Allen Russell, Gary Antonio Russell, and Gary Antuanne Russell – have become the most decorated family in American amateur boxing. Each has won a national Golden Gloves title. Gary, Jr. was an Olympian in 2008 before winning his WBC world featherweight championship. Now Antuanne continues the quest to have his name added to the Team Russell United

States Olympic roster. The ongoing journey to qualify for the 141 pound weight class on the 2016 U.S. Olympic Boxing Team that will compete in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil this summer continues just outside Washington, D.C. Though he has already won the division at the U.S. Olympic Trials there is still work to be done internationally before he can compete. Under the watchful eye of Gary, Sr. Team Russell is a family affair. He oversees the development of the five boxers who bear his name at Enigma Boxing. Just like a team sports coach, he develops their game plans and helps them make adjustments during the fights. He is also their counselor and team motivator. During the Olympic Trials he helped Antuanne get his confidence back after losing the opening fight. “He told me to tap into my swag after that first fight,” said Antuanne. “He also helped me make the adjustments to tighten up my punch selection and put more combinations together”. Antuanne did and joined a list of world and Olympic champions from the United States to make the team from the loser’s bracket. Floyd Mayweather,Jr., Muhammad Ali, Evander Holyfield, and his brother Gary, Jr. all lost opening round fights at the Olympic Trials. The bonds of team Russell go deeper than a passion for the sport. Gary, Jr. now assists Russell, Sr. in coaching his siblings in the ring while preparing for life after the final bell rings on their careers. “We are going into a new type of business and boxing is that business,”said Antuanne. “This is not something that I want to do forever. It’s what I do not who I am. Olympic Boxers get greater signing bonuses than regular amateurs who turn pro.” They have built Enigma Boxing into a family enterprise that already has one world champion and two Olympians in its stable. As Antuanne pushes forward with his Olympic dreams, he is guided by the knowledge of Junior’s experience with the 2008 team that cost him when turning pro. Gary, Jr’s. Olympics came to a premature end when he collapsed after trying to make bantamweight (119 pounds) and couldn’t fight. “I watched and learned from all the experiences of my older brothers and my dad,” said Antuanne. “I’ve learned that I can never go out of my element. You’ve got to find your character and stick to it. Blinding speed and knockout power with either hand could have sent Antuanne on the fast track to turning pro. Instead he remains committed to the Olympic path set forth by his dad and oldest brother. “When I was nine years old I was stuck on the roof of a two story building and didn’t know how I was going to get down,” said Antuanne. “He told me to jump and he would catch me and he did”. “It’s a blind trust thing. It’s a blind faith thing”.

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2016 Michael S. Powell

High School Journalist of the Year

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Washington

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. Payment Policy for legal notice 2015ADM1454 advertisements. Effective immediately, The Afro American Newspapers will require prepayment AFRO Classified minimum ad rate is $26.54 per Gladys Marie Fryfor Decedent publication of all legal notices. Payment will be accepted in the form of chwecks, credit card or money col. inch (an inch consists of up to 20 words). OF order. Any returned checks will be subject to a $25.00 processing fee and may resultAPPOINTMENT, inNOTICE the suspension Mail in your ad on form below along with of any future advertising at our discretion. NOTICE TO CHECK or MONEY ORDER to: CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN CO. UNKNOWN HEIRS TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:27:03 EST Tue 2016Jan 05 15:11:36 TYPESET: Jan 05 15:14:39 EST 2016 adTYPESET: ESTTue 2016 Louis Fry III, whose 1917 Benning Road, N.E. LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES LEGAL NOTICES dress is 7100 Alaska Washington, D.C. 20002-4723 Ave, NW, Washington, Superior Court of SUPERIOR COURT OF DC 20012, was apSuperior Court of Attn: Clsf. Adv. Dept. the District of THE DISTRICT OF pointed personal reprethe District of District of Columbia COLUMBIA sentative of the estate of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION PROBATE DIVISION Gladys Marie Fry, who PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C. died on November 7, Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 20001-2131 2015 without a will, and 20001-2131 Administration No. Administration No. will serve without Court Administration No. 2015ADM921 2015ADM1482 supervision. All unknown 2015ADM1511 Earl Toles Estate of heirs and heirs whose Hassan Ismila Boykin Decedent Preston L Williams whereabouts are unDecedent Darrel S Parker Esq known shall enter their Sharon M Chambers AKA 1822 11th Street, NW a n d H a r t e l , K a n e , Preston Levi Williams a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s Washington, DC 20001 Sr. proceeding. Objections Desantis & Howie, LLP Attorney to such appointment (or 7467 Ridge Rd, Ste 100 Deceased NOTICE OF NOTICE OF to the probate of deHanover, MD 21076 APPOINTMENT, STANDARD cedent´s will) shall be Attorney NOTICE TO PROBATE filed with the Register of NOTICE OF CREDITORS Notice is hereby given Wills, D.C., 515 5th APPOINTMENT, AND NOTICE TO that a petition has been Street, N.W., 3rd Floor NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS filed in this Court by W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . CREDITORS Tia Staton aka Tia TolesCharles A Queen for 20001, on or before July AND NOTICE TO Staton and Venus Bugstandard probate, includ- 8, 2016. Claims against UNKNOWN HEIRS gie AKA Venus Franklin, Haddassah Belle Boykin, ing the appoint-ment of the decedent shall be whose addresses are whose address is 3753 one or more personal represented to the under6907 Pine Valley Dr. 46th Ave, South 6 St., presentative. Unless a signed with a copy to the Glenn Dale, MD Petersburg, FL 33711 complaint or an objection Register of Wills or filed 20769;3352 6 St. SE, Apt with the Register of Wills was appointed personal i n a c c o r d a n c e w i t h 103, Washington, DC representative of the Superior Court Probate with a copy to the underwas, appointed personal estate of Hassan Ismila Division Rule 407 is filed signed, on or before July representative of the Boykin, who died on in this Court within 30 8, 2016, or be forever estate of Earl Toles, who October 11, 2014 without days from the date of first barred. Persons believed died on April 24, 2015 a will, and will serve with- publication of this notice, to be heirs or legatees of witha will, and will serve out Court supervision. All the Court may take the the decedent who do not without Court superviunknown heirs and heirs action hereinafter set receive a copy of this nosion. All unknown heirs tice by mail within 25 whose whereabouts are forth. and heirs whose unknown shall enter their 0 Admit to probate the days of its first publicawhereabouts are uncopy of the will dated tion shall so inform the appearance in this known shall enter their proceeding. Objections 8/7/2013 exhibited with Register of Wills, includappearance in this to such appointment the petition upon proof ing name, address and proceeding. Objections shall be filed with the satisfactory to the Court relationship. Legal Advertising Rates to such appointment (or Register of Wills, D.C., of due execution by af- Date of Publication: to the probate of de515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd fidavit of witnesses or January 8, 2016 Effective October 1, 2008 cedent´s will) shall be Name of newspaper: Floor Washington, D.C. otherwise filed with the Register of 20001, on or before July 0 Ordered any interested Afro-American Wills, D.C., 515 5th 8, 2016. Claims against person to show cause Washington PROBATE DIVISION Street, N.W., 3rd Floor the decedent shall be why the provisions of the Law Reporter Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . Louis Fry III presented to the under- lost or destroyed will (Estates) 20001, on or before July Personal signed with a copy to the dated 8/7/2013 should 8, 2016. Claims against 202-332-0080 Representative Register of Wills or filed not be admitted to prothe decedent shall be with the Register of Wills bate as expressed in the PROBATE NOTICES presented to the underTRUE TEST COPY with a copy to the under- petition signed with a copy to the REGISTER OF WILLS signed, on or before July 0 Appoint an unsuRegister of Wills or filed 8, 2016, or be forever pervised personal repre- TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:13:37 EST 2016 a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 weeks with the Register of Wills 01/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 barred. Persons believed sentative with a copy to the underRegister of Wills b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion to be heirs or legatees of signed, on or before July Clerk of the the decedent who do not Superior Court of c. Notice to Creditors 8, 2016, or be forever Probate Division receive a copy of this nothe District of barred. Persons believed 1. Domestic $180.00 per 3 weeks tice by mail within 25 Date of First Publication TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:12:58 EST 2016 $ 60 per insertion District of Columbia to be heirs or legatees of days of its first publica- January 8, 2016 PROBATE DIVISION 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion $180.00 per 3 weeks the decedent who do not tion shall so inform the Names of Newspapers: Washington, D.C. receive a copy of this nod. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion $360.00 per 6 weeks Register of Wills, includ- Washington Superior Court of 20001-2131 tice by mail within 25 ing name, address and Law Reporter the DistrictProbates of Administration No. e. Standard $125.00 days of its first publicaWashington relationship. District of Columbia 2015ADM1488 tion shall so inform the AFRO-AMERICAN Date of Publication: PROBATE DIVISION Audrey C Fine Register of Wills, includThomas H Queen January 8, 2016 TYPESET: Tue Jan 05NOTICES 15:12:32 EST 2016 Washington, D.C. Decedent CIVIL ing name, address and 7961 Eastern Ave, Name of newspaper: 20001-2131 NOTICE OF relationship. Suite 304 Afro-American a. Name Changes 202-879-1133 $ 80.00 Administration No. APPOINTMENT, Date of Publication: Silver Spring, MD 20910 Washington 2015ADM1106 NOTICE TO Superior Court of January 8, 2016 b. Real Property $ 200.00 Law Reporter Viola S Crooks CREDITORS the District of Name of newspaper: Haddassah Belle Boykin Signature of Decedent AND NOTICE TO District of Columbia Afro-American Personal Petitioners/Attorney Jamison B Taylor UNKNOWN HEIRS PROBATE DIVISION Washington Representative TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:14:19 FAMILY COURT EST 2016 Pamela L Bundy , whose 1218 11th St. NW Washington, D.C. Law Reporter 01/8, 01/15/16 address is 5203 Tinkers Washington, DC 20001 20001-2131 Tia Staton 202-879-1212 TRUE TEST COPY Creek Place, Clinton MD Attorney Administration No. TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:12:14 EST 2016 AKA REGISTER OF WILLS NOTICE OF 20735, was appointed Superior Court of DOMESTIC RELATIONS 2015ADM1485 Tia Toles-Staton TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:46:37 EST 2016 APPOINTMENT, personal representative the District of Lalla Beatrice KingVenus Buggle 01/8, 01/15, 01/22/16 202-879-0157 NOTICE TO of the estate of Audrey C District of Columbia Green AKA Superior Court of CREDITORS Fine, who died on PROBATE DIVISION Decedent Venus Franklin the District of Superior Court of AND NOTICE TO January 24, 2014 with a Washington, D.C. Jamison B Taylor Personal District of Columbia the District of UNKNOWN will, and will serve witha. Absent HEIRS Defendant 20001-2131 1218 11th St. NW Representative PROBATE DIVISION $ 150.00 District of Columbia out Court supervision. All Homer Crooks, Jr. whose W a s h i n g t o n , D C Administration No. Washington, D.C. b. Absolute $ 150.00 PROBATE DIVISION is 559Divorce 25th 20001Attorney unknown heirs and heirs address 2015ADM1438 TRUE TEST COPY 20001-2131 Washington, D.C. Place NE, Washington, whose whereabouts are TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:11:57 Ramona Diane Young NOTICE OF c. Custody Divorce REGISTER OF WILLS Administration No. $150.00 20001-2131 unknown shall enter their DC 20001, was apDecedent APPOINTMENT, 2015ADM1517 Administration No. pointed personal repreappearance in this NOTICE OF TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:13:20 EST 2016 NOTICE TO 01/8, 01/15, 01/22/16 Adedayo A Lesi 2015ADM1394 proceeding. Objections sentative of the estate of APPOINTMENT, CREDITORS Court Decedent place who your ad, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 262, Public NoticesSuperior $50.00 & upof Anderson A Dews, Jr. S Crooks, died to such appointment (or ViolaTo NOTICE TO AND NOTICE TO the District of Thomas P Hartnett Esq Decedent on October 13, 2014 to the probate of deCREDITORS UNKNOWN HEIRS District of Columbia depending on size, Baltimore Legal Notices are $24.84 per inch. SUPERIOR COURT OF 209 Pennsylvania Ave William A Bland Esq cedent´s will) shall be without a will, and will Ronald Moore, whose SE AND NOTICE TO PROBATE DIVISION THE DISTRICT OF (AFRO) 892 1140 Connecticut Ave serve without Court su- address is 4521-800 filed with the Register of UNKNOWN HEIRS Route 82, Washington, D.C. Washington, DC 20003 COLUMBIA NW #1100 pervision. All unknown Rachelle M Jackson, Wills, D.C., 515 5th Hopewell Junction,please NY Attorney 20001-2131 PROBATE DIVISION Forwhose Proof of Publication, call 1-800-237-6892, ext. 244 Washington, DC 20036 Street, N.W., 3rd Floor heirs and heirs whose address is 1200 12533, was appointed Administration No. NOTICE OF W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . Attorney whereabouts are un- personal representative Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . Stratwood Ave, Oxon 2015ADM1456 APPOINTMENT, 20001-2131 NOTICE OF Hill, MD 20745 was ap- 20001, on or before July known shall enter their of the estate of Lalla BeCatherine Jennings NOTICE TO Foreign No. APPOINTMENT, pointed personal repre- 8, 2016. Claims against a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s atrice King-Green, who Decedent CREDITORS 2015FEP136 NOTICE TO sentative of the estate of the decedent shall be proceeding. Objections died on AugustLEGAL 25, 2015NOTICES Wesley L Clarke AND NOTICE TO Date of Death CREDITORS Ramona Diane Young, presented to the under- to such appointment without a will, and will 1629 K Street, St 300 UNKNOWN HEIRS May 28, 2015 AND NOTICE TO who died on September signed with a copy to the shall be filed with the serve without Court su- Adetunji A Lesi, whose Washington, DC 20006 Dorothy Chambers UNKNOWN HEIRS 21. 2015 without a will, Register of Wills or filed Register of Wills, D.C., pervision. All unknown address is 4409 Wake- Attorney Hodge Milton M Dews, whose and will serve without with the Register of Wills 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd heirs and heirs whose field Street, Madison, WI, NOTICE OF Decedent address is 2008 Thist- Court supervision. All un- with a copy to the under- Floor Washington, D.C. where-abouts are un- 53711 was appointed APPOINTMENT, NOTICE OF l e w o o d D r i v e , F o r t known heirs and heirs signed, on or before July 20001, on or before July known shall enter their personal representaNOTICE TO APPOINTMENT Washington, MD 20744, whose whereabouts are 8, 2016, or be forever 8, 2016. Claims against a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s CREDITORS tive(s) of the estate of OF FOREIGN was appointed personal unknown shall enter their barred. Persons believed the decedent shall be proceeding. Objections Adedayo A Lesi, who AND NOTICE TO PERSONAL representative of the a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s to be heirs or legatees of presented to the under- to such appointment died on November 3, UNKNOWN HEIRS REPRESENTATIVE estate of Anderson A proceeding. Objections the decedent who do not signed with a copy to the shall be filed with the 2015 without a will, and Sarita K Muhammad, Dews, Jr, who died on to such appointment receive a copy of this no- Register of Wills or filed Register of Wills, D.C., will serve without Court whose address is 1625 AND October 11, 2015 with a shall be filed with the tice by mail within 25 with the Register of Wills 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd supervision. All unknown Gainsville St. SE, unit NOTICE TO will, and will serve with- Register of Wills, D.C., days of its first publica- with a copy to the under- Floor Washington, D.C. heirs and heirs whose 102, Washington DC, CREDITORS Ta n y a M a r i a G r e e n outCourt supervision. All 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd tion shall so inform the signed, on or before July 20001, on or before July whereabouts are un- 20020 was appointed whose address is 14200 unknown heirs and heirs Floor Washington, D.C. Register of Wills, includ- 8, 2016, or be forever 8, 2016. Claims against known shall enter their personal representaH i g h l a n d s Te r r a c e , whose whereabouts are 20001, on or before July ing name, address and barred. Persons believed the decedent shall be a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s tive(s) of the estate of to be heirs or legatees of presented to the under- proceeding. Objections Catherine Jennings, who Accokeek, Maryland, unknown shall enter their 8, 2016. Claims against relationship. the decedent who do not signed with a copy to the to such appointment died on October 20, 2015 the decedent shall be Date of Publication: 20607 was appointed a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s proceeding. Objections receive a copy of this no- Register of Wills or filed shall be filed with the with a will and will serve January 8, 2016 presented to the underpersonal representative tice by mail within 25 with the Register of Wills Register of Wills, D.C., without Court superviof the estate of Dorothy to such appointment (or signed with a copy to the Name of newspaper: days of its first publica- with a copy to the under- 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd sion. All unknown heirs Chambers Hodge, de- to the probate of de- Register of Wills or filed Afro-American tion shall so inform the signed, on or before July Floor Washington, D.C. a n d h e i r s w h o s e ceased by the Orphans’ cedent´s will) shall be with the Register of Wills Washington Register of Wills, includ- 8, 2016, or be forever 20001, on or before July whereabouts are unCourt for Prince Georges filed with the Register of with a copy to the under- Law Reporter Wills, D.C., 515 5th ing name, address and barred. Persons believed 8, 2016. Claims against known shall enter their Pamela L Bundy signed, on or before July C o u n t y, S t a t e o f Street, N.W., 3rd Floor relationship. Personal 8, 2016, or be forever to be heirs or legatees of the decedent shall be a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s Maryland, on June 11, Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . Representative Date of Publication: barred. Persons believed the decedent who do not presented to the under- proceeding. Objections 2015, . 20001, on or before to be heirs or legatees of January 8, 2016 receive a copy of this no- signed with a copy to the to such appointment (or Service of process may 7 / 11 / 2 0 1 6 . C l a i m s Name of newspaper: tice by mail within 25 Register of Wills or filed to the probate of debe made upon Aaron R against the decedent the decedent who do not TRUE TEST COPY Afro-American REGISTER OF WILLS days of its first publica- with the Register of Wills cedent´s will) shall be McMurray Sr. 141 47th shall be presented to the receive a copy of this noWashington tice by mail within 25 tion shall so inform the with a copy to the under- filed with the Register of St., NE, Washington, DC undersigned with a copy TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:12:58 EST 2016 Law Reporter 1/15, 1/22/16 days of its first publica- 1/8, Register of Wills, includ- signed, on or before July Wills, D.C., 515 5th 20019 whose designa- to the Register of Wills or tion shall so inform the Homer Crooks, Jr ing name, address and 8,2016, or be forever Street, N.W., 3rd Floor tion as District of Colum- filed with the Register of Register of Wills, includPersonal relationship. barred. Persons believed W a s h i n g t o n , D . C . bia agent has been filed Wills with a copy to the ing name, address and Superior Court of Representative Date of Publication: to be heirs or legatees of 20001, on or before July with the Register of Wills, 7/11/2016, or be forever relationship. the District of January 8, 2016 the decedent who do not 8, 2016. Claims against D.C. District of Columbia barred. Persons believed Date of Publication: TRUE TEST COPY Name of newspaper: receive a copy of this no- the decedent shall be The decedent owned the to be heirs or legatees of January 8, 2016 PROBATE DIVISION REGISTER OF WILLS Afro-American tice by mail within 25 presented to the underf o l l o w i n g D i s t r i c t o f the decedent who do not Name of newspaper: TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:12:32 EST 2016 Washington, D.C. Washington days of its first publica- signed with a copy to the Colombia real prop- receive a copy of this no- Afro-American 20001-2131 01/08, 01/15, 01/22/16 Law Reporter tion shall so inform the Register of Wills or filed erty:141 47th Street, NE, tice by mail within 25 Washington Administration No. Ronald Moore Register of Wills, includ- with the Register of Wills Washington, DC 20019 2015ADM1106 days of its first publica- Law Reporter Superior Court of Personal ing name, address and with a copy to the underClaims against the de- tion shall so inform the Rachelle M. Jackson Viola S Crooks the District of Representative relationship. signed, on or before July cedent may be pre- Register of Wills, includPersonal Decedent District of Columbia 8, 2016, or be forever Date of Publication: sented to the under- ing name, address and Representative Jamison B Taylor PROBATE DIVISION TRUE TEST COPY barred. Persons believed January 8, 2016 1218 11th St. NW signed and filed with the relationship. Washington, D.C. REGISTER OF WILLS to be heirs or legatees of Name of newspaper: Washington, DC 20001 Date of Publication: Register of Wills for the TRUE TEST COPY 20001-2131 the decedent who do not Afro-American TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:12:14 EST 2016 Attorney 1/8/2016 District of Columbia, REGISTER OF WILLS Administration No. 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 receive a copy of this noWashington NOTICE OF Name of newspaper: Building A, 515 5th 2015ADM1485 tice by mail within 25 Law Reporter TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:13:59 EST 2016 APPOINTMENT, 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 Lalla Beatrice KingStreet, NW., 3rd FL, Afro-American Adetunji A Lesi days of its first publicaNOTICE TO Superior Court of Green Washington, D.C. 20001 Washington Personal tion shall so inform the CREDITORS the District of Decedent within 6 months from the Law Reporter Representative Register of Wills, includSuperior Court of AND NOTICE TO Milton M Dews District of Columbia Jamison B Taylor date of first publication of ing name, address and the District of UNKNOWN HEIRS Personal PROBATE DIVISION 1218 11th St. NW relationship. this notice. (Strike TRUE TEST COPY District of Columbia Homer Crooks, Jr. whose Representative Washington, D.C. W a s h i n g t o n , D C Date of Publication: preceding sentence if no REGISTER OF WILLS PROBATE DIVISION address is 559 25th 20001-2131 20001Attorney January 8, 2016 real estate. TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 15:11:57 2016 Washington, D.C. Place NE, Washington, TRUE TEST COPY Administration No. NOTICE OF Name of EST newspaper: 01/8, 01/15, 01/22/16 20001-2131 DC 20001, was ap2015ADM1517 APPOINTMENT, Afro-American Tanta M Green REGISTER OF WILLS Administration No. pointed personal repreAdedayo A Lesi NOTICE TO Washington Personal 2015ADM1454 sentative of the estate of Decedent Superior Court of CREDITORS Law Reporter Representative(s) 01/8, 01/15, 01/22/16 Gladys Marie Fry Viola S Crooks, who died Thomas P Hartnett Esq the District of AND NOTICE TO Sarita Muhammad TRUE TEST COPY Decedent on October 13, 2014 209 Pennsylvania Ave District of Columbia UNKNOWN HEIRS Personal REGISTER OF WILLS NOTICE OF without a will, and will Ronald Moore, whose SE PROBATE DIVISION Representative Date of first publication: APPOINTMENT, serve without Court suWashington, D.C. You know address is 452 Route 82, Washington, DC 20003 January 8, 2016 NOTICE TO pervision. All unknown Hopewell Junction, NY Attorney 20001-2131 TRUE TEST COPY you’re in the Name of newspapers CREDITORS heirs and heirs whose 12533, was appointed NOTICE OF Administration No. REGISTER OF WILLS know... and/or periodical: AND NOTICE TO whereabouts are un- personal representative APPOINTMENT, 2015ADM1456 The Daily Washington When you read UNKNOWN HEIRS known shall enter their of the estate of Lalla BeNOTICE TO Catherine Jennings 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 Law Reporter Louis Fry III, whose ad- a p p e a r a n c e i n t h i s the AFRO! CREDITORS Decedent atrice King-Green, who The Afro-American dress is 7100 Alaska proceeding. Objections died on August 25, 2015 AND NOTICE TO Wesley L Clarke SUPPORT OUR ADVERTISERS 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 Ave, NW, Washington, to such appointment without a will, and will UNKNOWN HEIRS 1629 K Street, St 300 DC 20012, was apshall be filed with the serve without Court su- Adetunji A Lesi, whose Washington, DC 20006 pointed personal repre- Register of Wills, D.C., pervision. All unknown address is 4409 Wake- Attorney sentative of the estate of 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd heirs and heirs whose field Street, Madison, WI, NOTICE OF Gladys Marie Fry, who Floor Washington, D.C. where-abouts are un- 53711 was appointed APPOINTMENT, died on November 7, 20001, on or before July

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NAME: ________________________________________________ ADDRESS: _____________________________________________ PHONE NO.:____________________________________________ CLASSIFICATION: ______________________________________ (Room, Apt., House, etc.) INSERTION DATE:_________________

WASHINGTON AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1427 Jessie Creola Fernanders Decedent Montague A Buck Esq 6445 Luzon Avenue, NW 109 Washington, DC 20012 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Thomas E Fernanders, whose address is 5050 11 t h S t r e e t , N E , Washington, DC 20017, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Jessie Creola Fernanders, who died on October 9, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Thomas E Fernanders Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1391 Walter H Brown Decedent Theodora H Brown, PLLC 3127 Cherry Road, NE Washington, DC 20018-1611 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gita Austin Brown, whose address is 1207 Dixie-Bowie Way, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Walter H. Brown, who died on September 20, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Tue Jan 05 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1063 Mildred Lee Debnam Decedent James E McCollum Jr Esq McCollum & Associates LLC 7309 Baltimore Ave, Suite 117 College Park, Maryland 20740 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Consuella Debnam, whose address is 3115 15:11:02 EST 2016 Berry Rd NE, Washington, DC 20018, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Mildred Lee Debnam, who died on June 15, 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Conseuella Debnam Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16 TYPESET: Wed Jan 06 SUPERIOR COURT OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2013ADM964 Estate of John W Beach Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by Linda J Beach for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Di15:10:34 EST407 2016 vision Rule is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. 0 Admit to probate the will copy dated August 23, 2003 exhibited with the petition upon proof satisfactory to the Court of due execution by affidavit of witnesses or otherwise Register of Wills Clerk of the Probate Division Date of First Publication January 8, 2016 Names of Newspapers: Washington Law Reporter Washington AFRO-AMERICAN Perry L Foreman Jr P.O Box 44819 Fort Washington, MD 20744 Signature of Petitioners/Attorney 01/08, 01/15/16

MBE/WBE/DBE Subcontractors and Suppliers Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC, Rockville, MD is interested in receiving quotes from qualified MBE/WBE/DBE subcontractors and suppliers for the Saint Elizabeth Water Tower and Large Diameter Water Transmission Mains Project bidding on January 27, 2016. Opportunities are available for Specifications Divisions 1 thru 40. Please Fax quotes to 301-545-0810. Contact telephone 301-545-0750. Ulliman Schutte Construction, LLC 7615 Standish place, Rockville, MD 20855 www.ullimanschutte.com Equal Opportunity TYPESET: Tue Jan Employer 05 15:09:51 ESTWed 2016Jan 06 TYPESET: Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1457 Theresa T Pinckney Decedent Jamison B Taylor 1218 11th St. NW Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Wendy Pierce and Lawrence Ray Pearson, whose address is 3733 Nash St. SE, Washington, DC 20020 and 25521 Hillcreek Rd, Wagram, NC 28396, were 15:10:11 ESTpersonal 2016 reappointed presentative of the estate of Theresa T Pinckney, who died on September 28, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Wendy Pierce Lawrence Ray Pearson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Wed Jan 06 1/8, 1/15, 1/22/16

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1044 Doris F. Parker Decedent Julius P Terrell Esq 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW #400 Washington, DC 20004 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Julius P. Terrell, whose address is 1455 Pennsylvania Ave., NW #400, was appointed personal 11:25:17 EST 2016 representative of the estate of Doris F. Parker, who died on April 17, 2015 (with, without) a will, and will serve (with, without) Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Julius P Terrell Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/8, 01/15, 1/22/16

TYPESET: Tue Jan 12 16:51:08 EST 2016

LEGAL NOTICES

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA WATER AND SEWER AUTHORITY (DC WATER) INDUSTRY OUTREACH MEETING AND REQUEST FOR QUALIFICATIONS (RFQ FOR DC CLEAN RIVERS PROJECT

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION (DESIGN-BUILD) SERVICES FOR GREEN INFRASTRUCTURE (GI)(CONTRACT NO. 150210 - ROCK CREEK PROJECT A (DIVISION RC-A), CONTRACT NO. 150220 POTOMAC RIVER PROJECT A1 (DIVISION PR-A1), AND CONTRACT NO. 150240 - POTOMAC RIVER PROJECT A2 (DIVISION PR-A2)) AND CONSTRUCTION MANAGEMENT SERVICES (CONTRACT NO. DCFA #478-WASA: DIVISION RC-A, DIVISION PR-A1, AND DIVISION PR-A2) 11:43:08 EST 2016 An Industry Outreach Meeting will be held in Room 407 of the Central Operations Facility located at the Blue Plains Advanced Wastewater SUPERIOR COURT OF Treatment Plant (5000 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20032) on THE DISTRICT OF Friday, February 5, 2016, from 9:00 am to 12:00 pm. The meeting will COLUMBIA introduce DC Clean Rivers Project Contract No. 150210: Rock Creek PROBATE DIVISION Project A, Contract No. 150220: Potomac River Project A1, Contract No. Washington, D.C. 150240: Potomac River Project A2, and Contract No. DCFA #478-WASA. 20001-2131

Administration No. 2015ADM980 Estate of William Samuel Gwyn Sr. Deceased NOTICE OF STANDARD PROBATE Notice is hereby given that a petition has been filed in this Court by William Samuel Gwyn, Jr., for standard probate, including the appointment of one or more personal representative. Unless a complaint or an objection in accordance with Superior Court Probate Division Rule 407 is filed in this Court within 30 days from the date of first publication of this notice, the Court may take the action hereinafter set forth. 0 In the absence of a will or proof satisfactory to the court of due execution, enter an order determining that the decedent died intestate 0 appoint a unsupervised personal representative Register of Wills Clerk of the Probate Division Date of First Publication December 11, 2015 Names of Newspapers: Washington Law Reporter Wa s h i n g t o n A F R O AMERICAN Enoch Perry III, Esquire 1413 Fairlakes Place Mitchelleville, MD 20721 Signature of Petitioners/Attorney

Reservations - Reservations will be given preference with respect to admittance to the meeting. Space will be limited. Only two (2) persons per firm shall be admitted. To make reservations, contact Ms. Kimberly Isom by email (kimberly.isom@dcwater.com) no later than Tuesday, January 26, 2016. Please include your name and email address along with your firm name, address, phone number, and names of firm attendees. Persons wishing to attend the meeting must obtain a visitor’s pass and parking pass at the Visitors Center (please allow additional time for the process). CONTRACT NO. 150210 -ROCK CREEK PROJECT A: This project involves the design and construction of multiple GI facilities, such as bioretention in street planters or curb extensions and permeable pavement in alleys or parking lanes in the Rock Creek Sewershed to reduce Combined Sewer Overflows (CSO) by managing 1.2” of stormwater runoff from at least 20 impervious acres. CONTRACT NO. 150220 - POTOMAC RIVER PROJECT A1 AND CONTRACT NO. 150240 ” POTOMAC RIVER PROJECT A2: These projects involve the design and construction of multiple GI facilities, such as bioretention in street planters or curb extensions, permeable pavement in alleys or parking lanes, and subsurface storage beneath sidewalks and roads in the Potomac River Sewershed to reduce CSOs by managing 1.2” of stormwater runoff from at least 29 and 15 impervious acres for Divisions PR-A1 and PR-A2 respectively. Construction Management Services to provide monitoring and management for Divisions RC-A, PR-A1, and PR-A2 will be combined into one contract (DCFA #478-WASA). The Outreach Meeting will include a presentation of the project implementation approaches and schedules, information regarding construction management services, and information on the RFQs. The work resulting from these contracts will be subject to Fair Share Objectives for MBE and WBE firms. MBE and WBE objectives for professional services are 28 percent and 4 percent, respectively. MBE and WBE objectives for construction services are 32 percent and 6 percent, respectively. The program requirements are fully defined in the U.S. EPA’s Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in Procurement under EPA Financial Assistance Agreements - May 25, 2008. The work will also be subject to the District of Columbia and DC Water Memorandum of Agreement (May 2015) which stipulates a goal that 51% of all new hires for this work will be District residents.

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM62 Gloria Louise Williams AKA Gloria Williams Decedent Debra Williams 2819 32nd St SE Washington, DC 20020 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Jacqueline M Bell, whose address is 156 R Street,NW, Washington, DC 2 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Gloria Louise Williams AKA Gloria Williams, who died on March 28, 2009 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 15, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Jaqueline M Bell Personal Representative

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM15211 Lillie B Gamble Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Willie B Donaldson, whose address is 5001 Box Turtle Court ,Indian Head, MD 20640 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Lillie B Gamble, who died on October 28, 2015 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 15, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Willie B Donaldson Personal Representative

TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS

TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 14:38:45 EST 2016 1/15, 1/22, 1/29/16 1/15, 1/22, 129/16

The RFQ documents for the three projects and construction management services EST will be2016 available for distribution on or about Thursday, February 18, Superior Court of TYPESET: Wed Jan 06 11:25:35 12/11, 12/18/15 the District of 2016 and March 31, 2016 respectively. Firms wishing to obtain the RFQ District of Columbia document for any of the projects or construction management services PROBATE DIVISION should contact Ms. Kimberly Isom by e-mail (kimberly.isom@dcwater.com). Superior Court of Washington, D.C. A separate request must be submitted to obtain each RFQ document. The the District of 20001-2131 District of Columbia subject line of each RFQ request should refer to the appropriate contract Administration No. PROBATE DIVISION TYPESET: Jan 12 16:51:41 ESTTue 2016 TYPESET: Jan 12 16:51:26 EST 2016 TYPESET: Tue Jan 12 16:51:57 ESTTue 2016 number. 2015ADM426

Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2008ADM1013 Essie Mae Nelson Decedent E. Nichole Patterson 1003 K Street, NW, 3rd Floor Washington, DC 20001 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO 11:25:50 EST 2016 UNKNOWN HEIRS Juwanna Nelson, whose address is 66 New York Avenue, Apartment 201, Washington, DC 20001, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Essie Mae Nelson, who died on November 25, 1988 without a will. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter E Nichole Patterson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/08, 01/15, 01/22/16

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1536 OraBelle H Turner Decedent NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Brenda Fleet , whose address is 3710 Ninth St. NW, Washington, DC 20010 was, appointed personal representative of the estate of OraBelle H Turner, who died on July 29, 2014 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 15, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Brenda Fleet Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 1/15 , 1/22, 1/29/16

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1419 Emma Townsend Decedent Erick R Tyrone; The Tyrone Law Group 9701 Apollo Drive , Suite 301 Largo, MD 20774 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Louise Smith, whose address is 5600 Signet Ln, Riverdale MD 20737, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Emma Townsend , who died on August 12, 1999 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 15, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Louise Smith Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/15, 1/22, 1/29/16

TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 11:44:27 EST 2016 TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 11:43:43 LEGAL NOTICES

LEGAL NOTICES

Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM1514 Shelton Don’tae Jackson Decedent Curtis A Boykin 1850 M Street, NW Suite 640 Washington, DC 20036 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Shelly Jackson, whose address is 114-42 155 Street, Jamacia, NY 11434, was appointed personal representative of the estate of Shelton Don’Tae Jackson, who died on August 28, 2009 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 15, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Shelly Jackson Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 1/15, 1/22, 1/29/16

Call 202-332-0080

Sarah Williams Decedent Claude Roxborough Sr. 705 Irving St. NW Washington, DC 20010 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Patricia Lipford, whose address is 649 Morris Pl, NE Washington, DC, 20002 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Sarah Williams, who died on June 4, 1998 without a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose where-abouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Washington, D.C. 20001, on or before July 15, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 16, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 15, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Patricia Lipford Personal Representative TRUE TEST COPY REGISTER OF WILLS 01/15, 01/22, 01/29/16

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Superior Court of the District of District of Columbia PROBATE DIVISION Washington, D.C. 20001-2131 Administration No. 2015ADM612 Celeste Adele Robinson Decedent Ara D Parker 5827 Allentown Road Camp Springs, MD 20746 Attorney NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT, NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Ara D Parker , whose address is 5827 Allentown Road, Camp Springs, MD 20746 was appointed personal representative of the estate of Celeste Adele Robinson, who died on October 28, 2013 without a will, and will serve with Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2015 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Ara D Parker Personal Representative

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NOTICE TO CREDITORS AND NOTICE TO UNKNOWN HEIRS Gita Austin Brown, whose address is 1207 Dixie-Bowie Way, Upper Marlboro, MD 20774 was appointed personal 15:11:17 EST 2016 representative of the estate LEGAL NOTICES of Walter H. Brown, who died on September 20, 2015 with a will, and will serve without Court supervision. All unknown heirs and heirs whose whereabouts are unknown shall enter their appearance in this proceeding. Objections to such appointment (or to the probate of decedent´s will) shall be filed with the Register of Wills, D.C., 515 5th Street, N.W., 3rd Floor Wa s h i n g t o n , D . C . 20001, on or before July 8, 2016. Claims against the decedent shall be presented to the undersigned with a copy to the Register of Wills or filed with the Register of Wills with a copy to the undersigned, on or before July 8, 2016, or be forever barred. Persons believed to be heirs or legatees of the decedent who do not receive a copy of this notice by mail within 25 days of its first publication shall so inform the Register of Wills, including name, address and relationship. Date of Publication: January 8, 2016 Name of newspaper: Afro-American Washington Law Reporter Gita Austin Brown Personal Representative

C6 The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

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TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 15:06:54 EST 2016

LEGAL NOTICES

HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS ENHANCED LEASING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM RFP NUMBER: B-1808-16 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (”HABC”) is requesting proposals from interested and qualified entities to implement an Enhanced Leasing Assistance Program, designed to assist non-elderly persons with disabilities in successfully leasing rental units subsidized by Housing Choice Vouchers or Section 8 project-based vouchers issued by HABC. PROPOSALS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Monday, February 22, 2016. A non-mandatory pre-proposals conference will be held on Tuesday, February 2, 2016, at 10:00 a.m., at 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202.HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (”MBE”) utilization, applicable to all minority and nonminority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Womenowned businesses (”WBEs”), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts. Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u. The RFP may be obtained on or after Monday, January 25, 2016, at the following location:

To advertise in the AFRO Call 410-554-8200

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Payment Policy for legal notice advertisements. Effective immediately, The Afro American Newspapers will require prepayment for publication of all legal notices. Payment will be accepted in the form of checks, credit card or money order. Any returned checks will be subject to a $25.00 processing fee and may result in the suspension of any future advertising at our discretion.

GREAT MTN. LAND SALE 5.3AC. WAS $64,900 NOW $49,900 CLOSE TO TOWN/ NEAR LAKE CABIN SHELL $26,000 Rare chance to own private one of a kind Land with Mtn. views perfect for camp, build ATV, retire, recreation abounds on this mix of Open and wooded rolling land. New perc, elec, Survey. No time to build. Excellent financing. TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 15:19:05 EST 2016 LEGAL NOTICES City of Baltimore Department of Finance Bureau of Purchases

Sealed proposals addressed to the Board of Estimates of Baltimore will be received until, but not later than 11:00a.m. local time on the following date(s) for the stated requirements: February 10, 2016 *BUILDING DECONSTRUCTION B50004397 February 24, 2016 *REMOVE AND REPLACE CONCRETE PAVEMENT AT BALTIMORE CONVENTION CENTER B50004483 THE ENTIRE SOLICITATION DOCUMENT CAN BE VIEWED AND DOWN LOADED BY VISITING THE CITY’S WEB SITE: www.baltimorecitibuy.org

Housing Authority of Baltimore City Division of Fiscal Operations, Purchasing Department 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 414Baltimore, Maryland 21202 Attention: John Airey, Chief of Contracting Services Tel: (410) 396-3261 Fax: (410) 962-1586 Questions regarding the RFP should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC RFP TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 15:06:36 EST 2016 Number B-1808-16. HOUSING AUTHORITY OF BALTIMORE CITY INVITATION FOR BIDS INSTALLATION OF VINYL REPLACEMENT WINDOWS AT VARIOUS DWELLING UNITS OWNED BY HABC IFB NUMBER: B-1809-16 The Housing Authority of Baltimore City (”HABC”) will issue an Invitation for Bids (”IFB”) for interested vendors to supply and install vinyl replacement windows at various dwelling units owned by HABC. BIDS WILL BE DUE no later than 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, February 18, 2016. A non-mandatory pre-bid meeting will be held on Thursday, February 4, 2016 at 11:00 a.m., at the Charles L. Benton Building, 417 E. Fayette Street, Room 416, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202. HABC has established a minimum goal of twenty percent (20%) of the total dollar amount of the proposed contract for Minority Business Enterprise (”MBE”) utilization, applicable to all minority and non-minority businesses proposing to provide the requested services as the prime contractor. No goal has been established for participation of Women-owned businesses (”WBEs”), however, HABC strongly encourages and affirmatively promotes the use of WBEs in all HABC contracts. Responders shall also comply with all applicable requirements of Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, 12 U.S.C. Section 1701u. The IFB may be obtained on or after Monday, January 25, 2016, at the following location:

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BALTIMORE AFRO-AMERICAN NEWSPAPER Legal Advertising Rates Effective October 1, 2008 PROBATE DIVISION (Estates) 202-332-0080 PROBATE NOTICES a. Order Nisi $ 60 per insertion b. Small Estates (single publication $ 60 per insertion c. Notice to Creditors 1. Domestic $ 60 per insertion 2. Foreign $ 60 per insertion d. Escheated Estates $ 60 per insertion e. Standard Probates

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Questions regarding the IFB should be directed in writing to the address and individual indicated above, and must include the reference: HABC IFB Number B-1809-16. TYPESET: Wed Jan 13 15:06:17 EST 2016

APARTMENTS

CITY OF BALTIMORE DEPARTMENT OF GENERAL SERVICES NOTICE OF LETTING Sealed Bids or Proposals, in duplicate addressed to the Board of Estimates of the Mayor and City Council of Baltimore and marked for GS 15813RRMECU Building Envelope Improvements will be received at the Office of the Comptroller, Room 204, City Hall, Baltimore, Maryland until 11:00 A.M. on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. Positively no bids will be received after 11:00 A.M. Bids will be publicly opened by the Board of Estimates in Room 215, City Hall at Noon. The Contract Documents may be examined, without charge, in Room 6 located on the first floor of the Abel Wolman Municipal Building, 200 Holliday Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21202 as of Friday, January 15, 2016 and copies may be purchased for a non-refundable cost of $100.00. Conditions and requirements of the Bid are found in the bid package. All contractors bidding on this Contract must first be prequalified by the City of Baltimore Contractors Qualification Committee. Interested parties should call 410-396-6883 or contact the Committee at 4 South Frederick Street, 4th Floor, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. If a bid is submitted by a joint venture (”JV”), then in that event, the document that established the JV shall be submitted with the bid for verification purposes. The Prequalification Category required for bidding on this project is E13002Over Three Story Cost Qualification Range for this work shall be $2,000,000.01 to $3,000,000.00 A ”Pre-Bidding Information” session will be conducted at The Site: 401 E. Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21202 on Tuesday, February 2, 2016 at 10:00 A.M. Principal Items of work for this project are: 1. Demolition 2. Concrete 3. Fencing 4. Window/Curtain Wall 5. Conveying 6. Fire Suppression 7. Plumbing/HVAC 8. Drywall/Painting 9. Electrical 10. Site/Scaffolding The MBE goal is 10% The WBE goal is 3% CONTRACT NO. GS 15813RR APPROVED: Bernice H. Taylor Clerk, Board of Estimates APPROVED: Steve Sharkey Director, Department of General Services

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January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

SPORTS AFRO Sports Desk Faceoff

Will Washington’s Kirk Cousins be Worth the Money? By Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley AFRO Sports Desk Washington’s Kirk Cousins just submitted one of the best seasons by a quarterback in team history and could be ready to cash in during the offseason. Cousins picked the right time to peak—the conclusion of his original four-year rookie deal may lead to a new contract which could potentially pay as much as $15 million a year. The odds are in Cousins’ favor, as the 26-year-old signal caller caught fire in the latter half of his first full year as a starter. The regular season success didn’t fully transfer into the postseason but it was a positive experience for followers of a franchise that’s been a consistent failure over the last few seasons. Washington’s 9-7 campaign and NFC East title was enough for a playoff spot, but the team eventually bowed out to the Green Bay Packers. Were Cousins’ feats enough to earn him a huge contract? Perry Green and Stephen D. Riley of the AFRO Sports Desk debate the question. Riley: Cousins’ team records for completions and passing yards were enough to elevate his stock in the eyes of Washington. It’s not often that a quarterback can set single season records, and once that happens, they need to be retained at all costs. Cousins’ importance to the team, coming on the heels of the failed project that was Robert Griffin III, opens up the possibility of a huge extension for Cousins.

the prize. That money could best be served patching up the defense and finding a serviceable signal caller. I’d re-sign him but for no more than $10-12 million per year. If he doesn’t take it, let him walk and start all over.

Riley: Proven quarterbacks just don’t grow on trees, so Washington and owner Daniel Snyder should have no problem cutting Cousins a sizeable check. The NFL is a passing league, and teams will continue to overspend for players who can keep them afloat in today’s game. Cousins didn’t exactly have a magical campaign, but he had one of the best seasons in team history and that will definitely count for something. Critics always complain about how much money a certain position or player makes. But at the end of the day, the organization’s job is to place value on prime positions which give the club a chance to compete. Cousins’ 2015 season put Washington in excellent position, and they’ll find other ways to reshuffle money around before playing it cheap with Cousins. Green: The team could be better served trying to ink any other quarterback to a one-year deal while patching some of the areas on the team left untended thanks in part to the RGIII deal from a few years ago. It just hasn’t been a good experience when Washington gives a Green: Cousins’ importance to the team will without question make him huge payday to a quarterback. a top priority to re-sign, but Washington is definitely set Whether it’s simply bad luck or the inability up to overpay. Sure, Cousins set team records that weren’t to spot a franchise passer, Washington should (AP Photo/Alex Brandon) really all that lofty to break, and he piloted his team into the Washington quarterback Kirk Cousins (8) passes the ball during the first try its best not to make such a large investpostseason out of perhaps the worst football division in the ment for only a short resume. Give Cousins half of an NFL wild card playoff football game against the Green Bay PackNFL, so what does that make him? a deal similar to what Ryan Fitzpatrick reers. Washington was eliminated 35-18. Is there talent there? Yes, absolutely. Is there a hint of his ceived when he had a decent year in Buffalo being overrated? Of course, no doubt. This year’s draft class doesn’t appear particularly deep, back in 2011: a six-year deal worth $59 million. I’d offer Cousins maybe $75 million over six putting Washington in a prime position to overpay. years. As a quarterback with only one decent season under his belt, that’s all he’s worth in my The last time Washington broke the bank for a quarterback, they walked away with RGIII as eyes.

Browns Hire Bengals’ Hue Jackson as Head Coach Jackson replaces Pettine, fired after going 10-22. After dismissing Pettine — and general manager Ray FarmHue Jackson has experience as a head coach, knows the AFC er — Haslam was determined to find the right coach to serve as North and has fixed quarterbacks. “the leader of the team and the face of the franchise.” For now, Just what the Browns were looking for. that’s Jackson, who has spent 15 seasons coaching in the NFL, The Bengals offensive coordinator, who waited four years establishing himself as one of the profession’s rising stars. for his second crack at leading an NFL team, has been hired as Jackson’s challenge in Cleveland will be turning around a Cleveland’s next coach — the struggling franchise’s eighth since team that can’t seem to get out of its own way. Pettine had the 1999 and sixth since 2008. Browns off to a 7-4 start in 2014, but he lost 18 of his last 21 The 50-year-old Jackson finalized his deal on Jan. 13, swiftly games. The Browns were at times competitive, but remain at ending the Browns’ search which began on Jan. 3 when owner the bottom of one of the league’s toughest divisions. Jimmy Haslam fired Mike Pettine after two losing seasons. Jackson had his second interview with Haslam on Jan. 12 Jackson had also interviewed with the San Francisco 49ers and in Cincinnati. The likable coach, who has drawn rave reviews was scheduled to meet later this week with the New York Giants, from former players, said his meetings with the Browns were but Haslam was not going to be outbid for a coach he coveted. fruitful. Haslam said Jackson has all the qualities that will provide “We shared a vision for the organization and what we want strong leadership for the team. to accomplish,” said Jackson, who went 8-8 with the Raider in “He is highly experienced, deeply passionate about winning, 2011. “At the end of the day, we have some very real goals we and relentless in trying to find ways to put his players in the best want to attain and we understand it’s going to take a lot of hard position to succeed,” he said. “He possesses that unique ability to work to do that.” reach the entire locker room in a way that demands accountabilLanding Jackson is a coup for the Browns, who have been ity while getting the buy-in and team-first mentality that leads to overmatched against the Bengals in their three most recent positive results. I think our players will love playing for him.” games. The team will introduce Jackson at an evening news conferIt’s been a whirlwind few days for Jackson. After the ence at their facility in Berea, Ohio. Bengals were beaten 18-16 by Pittsburgh in a memorable The Browns were drawn to Jackson because of his one season AFC wild-card game on Saturday night, Jackson spent five as Oakland’s head coach, his deep knowledge inside their divihours meeting with the San Francisco 49ers and then four sion and his strong record working with quarterbacks like Carson with Cleveland’s search committee, which included recentlyPalmer and Andy Dalton. promoted director of football operations Sashi Brown and Paul (AP Photo/Bill Wippert) Cleveland owns the No. 2 overall pick in this year’s draft and DePodesta, a former baseball executive considered one of the Former Cincinnati Bengals offensive coordinator Hue will likely use it on a quarterback — possibly California’s Jared best analytics experts in pro sports. Jackson will be the new coach of the Cleveland Browns. Goff or Memphis’ Paxton Lynch. On Jan. 12, Haslam skipped the owner’s meetings in It remains to be seen what plans Jackson might have for Houston so he could have a second meeting with Jackson, a Johnny Manziel, the troubled QB whose two seasons in Clevesit-down that escalated into a contract offer. land have been filled with controversy and more chaos than the As they reboot again, the Browns are hoping Jackson’s Browns needed. Manziel’s recently ended his second season by experience in Oakland — another franchise with its share of missing a scheduled medical treatment amid reports he was spotted in Las Vegas. dysfunction — and his work with QBs will help them get back to relevancy quickly. Cleveland Jackson spent the past two seasons overseeing Cincinnati’s offense. A former college quarhasn’t won a playoff game since 1994 or even made the postseason since 2002. The Browns terback at Pacific, Jackson pushed Dalton to his best statistical season and was known for his have endured 14 double-digit loss seasons and started 24 quarterbacks since returning to the creative flair with unbalanced lines and unorthodox formations. The Bengals were among the league in ‘99. league’s most exciting offenses with a solid balance and quick-strike capability. It’s been a mess. Jackson brings a fresh start — for the Browns and for himself. By The Associated Press

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

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January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY-AREA Edwards Campaigns on Womenfriendly Policies

Health & Fitness

D.C. Health Advocates Address Drug Addiction at Expo

By Linda Poulson Special to the AFRO

By Melanie R. Duncan Special to the AFRO Women in Maryland currently face gender-based pay disparities, erratic work schedules and lost wages due to unpaid sick leave. This negatively impacts thousands of families across the state, according to research collected by Maryland Working Families. Striving for a solution, Maryland Working Families, an independent political organization is pushing

Photo by Shantella Y. Sherman Photo by Melanie Duncan

Rep. Donna Edwards spoke at a community forum Jan. 9 that addressed economic disparities for women and working families.

Former Prince George’s County Cop Gets Five Year Sentence

Thousands of area residents attended NBC4’s Health & Fitness Expo from Jan. 9-10 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center. See more photos on D4. By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com

forward with the Women’s Economic Security Agenda. The organization presented the agenda to county residents during a community forum on Jan. 9. The agenda is a package of state-wide bills that seek to promote financial stability for working families in the form of fair pay, fair scheduling, earned sick leave, and paid family and medical leave. “It’s up to the policymakers to do the right thing when it comes to working families,” said U.S. Rep. Donna Edwards (D-Md.), the event’s keynote speaker. “We know that when you invest in women, you invest in the communities. It’s going to take a mass movement all across our state

Tens of thousands of D.C. metropolitan area residents converged on the Walter E. Washington Convention Center Jan. 9-10 for a health expo that offered necessary tools to better physical, mental, and emotional well-being. The 23rd Annual NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo helped kick-start a healthy new year for attendees through health screenings and healthy food preparation demonstrations to Pilates classes and informational booths for a myriad of health conditions. NBC4 is a NBC owned and operated television station in the District. Among the highlights of this year’s expo were both senior citizen and young adult exercise challenges and a book signing station to support local health-related works. Kenny Lyles, a recovering substance user and father of three attended the event with his children, making it a point to visit local author Rhonda L. Johnson’s talk on overcoming addiction. “They [his children] are all young adults now and understand how drugs can take an otherwise healthy person and destroy them from the inside out,” Lyles said. “It was important for them to understand that it was not just that their dad was wrecked by drug use, but also that it is the nature of drugs to damage or destroy all people who use them – even beautiful women like Johnson are impacted.” Johnson, a certified peer specialist from the D.C.

Continued on D2

Photo by Shantella Y. Sherman

Donovan Heller and hundreds of others took to the Pilates mats at the 23rd Annual NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo.

Former Prince Georges County, Maryland police officer Jenchesky Santiago was sentenced to five years in prison on Jan. 8 after being found guilty of first- and second-degree assault, use of a hand gun in the commission of a crime of violence, and two counts of misconduct in office. “Mr. Santiago violated the rights afforded to Mr. Cunningham and every citizen of Prince Georges County and no citizen should ever suffer such disrespect,” said Prince Georges County State’s Attorney Angela Alsobrooks after the hearing. “Mr. Santiago’s actions that day and the fact that he continues to show no remorse for what he did and believes that the victim should actually apologize to him, shows that he had no business serving in our police department.” Santiago’s charges stem from a May 10, 2014, incident in Bowie, Maryland when he approached a vehicle where William Cunningham’s cousin was dropping him off at his home. Santiago claimed the car was parked illegally, but prosecutors later discovered that his statement was not correct. According to reports, Santiago ordered Cunningham to return to the car when he tried to enter his house. Cunningham refused and Santiago pulled out his weapon, put it to Cunningham’s head, and threatened him. Cunningham’s cousin recorded the incident on his cell phone. The five years was added to the five year sentence Santiago received on Dec. 2, 2014. “Jenchesky Santiago should not be a police officer . . . there’s no question that he failed, that he could lose his badge,” Shaun Owens, Santiago’s defense attorney said. “His conduct still did not rise to the level of criminal activity.” Former Prince Continued on D2

Shakeup in Government Follows Prince George’s County Officials Voice Urgent Concern Over Rise in County’s Murder Rate AFRO Staff

Prince George’s County Executive Rushern Baker III announced leadership changes in an attempt to reduce crime further for Prince George’s County, Maryland for 2016 amidst the county’s historical all-time low crime rate in 2015. Leadership changes include, Barry Stanton as deputy chief administrative officer for Public Infrastructure; Thomas Himler as deputy chief administrative officer for Budget, Finance and Administration, and Economic Development; Mark A. Magaw (former police chief) as County Executive Baker’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer (DCAO) for Public Safety; H.P. “Hank” Stawinski, III as acting chief of the Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD), and Gevonia

R.Whittington as the acting director of the Prince George’s County Department of Homeland Security. All positions were effective as of Jan. 4. “For the remainder of my term as county executive, there will be ongoing public safety challenges,” Baker said in a news release on Dec. 11. “I believe this new public safety leadership re-alignment will continue our success and offer professional experience, excellent expertise and innovative approaches to protecting our citizens.” The changes come on the heels of a relatively low crime year for the county. According to police records, there were 986 armed and unarmed robberies in 2015. While there were 1,197 in 2014. Magaw said he attributes the drop in crime to the Crimesolvers program the Continued on D2

Space Heater Deaths

By Shantella Y. Sherman Special to the AFRO ssherman@afro.com Prince Georges County Fire and Emergency Services (EMS) is urging local

residents to use extreme care when operating space heaters. This was in response to two homes being gutted in space heater fires earlier this month?. The two fires displaced 11 adults and 2

Courtesy photo

In just four days PG County saw two serious house fires that came as the result of improperly used space heaters.

children, and caused an estimated $150,000 worth of damage. “We were fortunate no one was injured or killed during these incidents,” said Prince Goerge’s County Fire Chief Marc S. Bashoor. “Fire safety and injury prevention must not be lost in an effort to stay warm. Stay warm and do so safely. Safety First ensures everyone goes home.” According to the United States Fire Administration, space heaters cause one-third of home heating fires and 4 out of 5 home heating fires deaths. In both cases – one in Beltsville and the other in Chapel Oaks – Bashoor said Continued on D2

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

Health & Fitness Continued from D1

Department of Behavioral Health’s Office of Consumer and Family Affairs, read from her book “Memoirs of An Addict: Fact or Fiction.” “It is easy for society to look down on the person suffering with drugs and alcohol but what about the closet addict that lives every day with an addiction and the world does not see or want to believe they have a problem?,” Johnson asked attendees. “I had to learn to examine myself and learn what the root cause of my addictive, mental, and suicidal behavior was. Once I became a consumer of mental health and received the correct treatment for my undiagnosed mental illness and drug addiction my life began to change.” Johnson said that was the beginning of her road to recovery – something she said few people facing addiction have an opportunity to do under harsh public scrutiny. Other participants of the expo included Donovan Heller and his sisters, Hasiya and Ateya, who spent two days alternating between picking up health literature for their mother, and taking part in all of the athletic challenges offered. Heller’s mother, diagnosed according to him as obese and suffering from hypertension, began having problems with her knees several months ago. “I thought Pilates might be good for my mother since she has to lose weight but cannot stand the impact on her knees, but it seemed like a kind of White girlie thing to do,” Heller said. “There was a big guy in front of me in line and I thought if he could do it comfortably, so could my mother.” Heller said he and his sisters will take the literature and techniques they learned at the expo home to help improve theirs and their mother’s overall health.

Edwards

Continued from D1

so that we can do the right thing for working families.” Women in Maryland earn an average of 86 cents per every dollar that men, in similar jobs, make, according to Andrea Johnson from the National Women’s Law Center. Black women earn 70 cents, while Latina women make 47 cents for comparable work, she said. The agenda promotes “Equal Pay for Equal Work” legislation to close the wage gap between men and women by ensuring that employers cannot pay disparate wages or provide unfavorable employment opportunities based on gender. The legislation will also prohibit employers from retaliating against employees for sharing their salary information.

Tracey Hartman with Working Matters Coalition said that 720,000 employees in Maryland are unable to earn sick leave. Furthermore, at least half of the state’s fulltime workers make less than $35,000 a year and cannot

will mandate that employers provide workers with their schedule at least three weeks in advance so families can better plan for childcare, continuing education, or secure a second job. This would eliminate on-call shifts with no guarantee of work or pay, cancelled shifts without pay, or sending

“It’s up to the policy makers to do the right thing when it comes to working families.”

– Donna Edwards

earn sick leave, many of which are women. The Healthy Working Families Act will allow workers to earn up to seven paid sick days a year. “Everybody deserves to be able to recover from getting sick without fear,” she said. The Fair Scheduling Act

workers home early without compensation. “At the end of the day it’s women who are suffering because we are the caregivers,” Maryland Delegate Ariana Kelly (D-Montgomery) said. “We

A local kid attempts a wall climb during the 23 Annual NBC4 Health & Fitness Expo from Jan. 9-10. Photo by Shantella Sherman

have a lot of work to do in terms of moving forward bills that impact women. We have a very traditional legislature.” House of Delegates Economic Matters Committee Chair Dereck E. Davis (D-Prince George’s) said that Maryland is actually one of the better states when it comes to economic gender equality and that Prince George’s County does not currently have wage disparities between men and women. However, he urged forum attendees to go to Annapolis to meet with their elected officials to make the agenda become law. “We need your help,” Davis said, echoing the words of District 24 Sen. JoAnne Benson (D), former District 25 Del. Aisha Braveboy (D), and current District 25 Del. Angela Angel (D), who hosted the event.

Cop

Continued from D1 Georges County police chief Mark Magaw fired Santiago from the police department on Dec. 18. According to the Washington Post, Santiago made a prison phone call to his mother Marsisol Ortiz. The recording indicated that Santiago thinks Cunningham should apologize to him for the incident. Cunninghan said Santiago’s reasoning was “outlandish.” “Day by day I’m really cautious; my movements cautious of where I go, the people I surround myself with, I’m cautious around the actions of the police,” Cunningham said. “I’m glad that this case was handled so well . . . it will take awhile for me to get totally over everything that went on.” Cunningham’s attorney Gabriel Christian told the {AFRO}, “For too long African American and minority youth, working class people without strong legal representation have gotten the short end of the stick.” Clinton, Maryland resident Frank Rollins agrees. “Prince George’s County police are drawn from the society at large and while it would be great to weed out the undesirables (despite their training), but the fact is some people will be officers of the law using authority and the weapon to back it up that shouldn’t be,” he told the AFRO

Murder Rate Continued from D1

police department initiated. However, according to reports from the police department, there were 77 homicides in 2015, 54 in 2014 and 56 in 2013. “There will not be greater changes. There will be greater focus,” Stawinski said at a press conference regarding tackling crime and homicides in the county. “There’ll be new responsibility. There’ll be enhanced strategies . . . keeping things moving in the right

direction, consistently, and in a measured way.” Michelle Mundey, facility director of Temple Hills Community Center & Steven Decatur Community Center, said the 2016 focus will be to retain youth in positive community-centered activities. “The centers counsel students who are either [feeling] peer pressure or want to disassociate . . . from crimes that occurs in the area” she said. The centers have come up with

several strategies to help keep youth members out of crime: handing out free membership cards that will enable them to access counseling services, fitness centers, athletic programs, and various developmental programs. Mundey said she is open to new ways of recruiting both staff and participants to keep youth out of trouble in the area. Danielle Lockett contributed to this article.

Space Heater Continued from D1

space heaters in bedrooms ignited nearby combustibles (bedding material) and spread rapidly. Marnie Gibson, a Cheverly resident said she had a nearmiss with an oscillating space heater situated too close to newspapers she stored in her basement. The space, being used as a bedroom for a nephew, had no insulation and space heaters initially seemed like a good idea. “It’s an old house so you think of putting the space heater somewhere that it can heat the entire room as quickly as possible, but there were stacks of newspapers that the heater almost touched each time it turned,” Gibson said. “My nephew saw the smoke and smelled the paper burning so it never got to be a full fire, but it can happen in a matter of minutes.” Bashoor cautioned homeowners to take the time to read the manuals that come with heating units and follow the specific guidelines concerning their proximity to both their own bodies and combustible items. The fires that damaged those homes were preventable and had they not occurred during the early afternoon, could have caused loss of life, he said. “Each season, home fires increase in part due to cooking and heating fires,”

Bashoor said. Additional space heater safety tips from PG County EMS include: Buy only heaters evaluated by a nationally recognized laboratory, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). Check to make sure the space heater has a thermostat control mechanism, and will switch off automatically if the heater falls over or if placed too close to an object. Heaters are not dryers or tables; don’t dry clothes or store objects on top of heaters. Space heaters need space, keep combustibles at least three feet away from each heater. Always unplug electric space heaters when not in use; turn them off at night or whenever residents are asleep. Never use an extension cord with space heaters – plug directly into wall socket.  Additionally, Bashoor said that working carbon monoxide detectors should be used in the home to protect families from deadly “silent killer” fumes that may be building. For additional information on winter fire safety, visit. usfire.gov. Residents are encouraged to utilize the Prince George’s County’s County 311 system to obtain information about public services, including getting a

January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016, The Afro-American

WASHINGTON AREA

COMMUNITY CONNECTION Send your upcoming events to tips@afro.com. For more community events go to afro.com/DC Events.

Washington, D.C. Smithsonian Annual MLK Program The Smithsonian’s Anacostia Community Museum will host an annual Martin Luther King Jr. program on Jan. 15 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Baird Auditorium located between 10th & Constitution Ave. NW. The “Looking Back, Moving Forward” program will feature Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, as the keynote speaker. There will also be a performance by Crazee Praize Nation Mime Troupe. The event is free and open to the public. Reservations are required. To RSVP, call 202-633-4875 or email acmrsvp@si.edu.

Homicide Count

Data as of Jan. 13

AKA Service Day Party, Founder’s Celebration Alpha Kappa Alpha’s Xi Omega Chapter will host “Pumps at the Park on Fourteenth” on Jan. 15 from 6-10 p.m. to celebrate its Founder’s Day and collect seasonal wraps and warm clothing for men, women and children. The event will be held at The Park at Fourteenth, 920 14th Street NW. Admission to the event is free. Guests are asked to bring new or gently used scarves, coats, jackets, socks, caps, gloves, boots, etc. Men’s clothing is especially needed.

Clothing will be donated to a local D.C. charity. For more information, visit akaxo.org.

Accokeek, Md. Community Charities, AKA Denim & Pearls Fundraiser Southern Prince George’s County Community Charities, in partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Upsilon Tau Omega Chapter presents Denim and Pearls, a cabaret-style event fundraiser. Guests should wear their best dressy denim attire. Children cannot attend. Entertainment will be provided by DJ P Chris and The Fix. The event will take place on Jan. 16 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. at the Accokeek Firehouse, 16111 Livingston Road. For ticket information, please go to akaupsilontauomega.org. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 at the door.

Alexandria, Va. ‘Mercy Street’ at Alexandria Libraries The Public Broadcasting Station will premiere a new medical drama that is set in Alexandria during the Civil War. Come celebrate the PBS series “Mercy Street” and Alexandria’s local history with a special series of speakers and events. The next events at the library will include a “Medicinal Alcohol in the Civil War” talk by Dr. Guy Hasegawa, a noted Civil War medicine scholar, on Jan. 16 at 1:30 p.m. at the Charles E. Beatley, Jr. Central Library, 5005 Duke Street. The series will also include a tea event by Laurie Bell, a certified tea specialist, on Jan. 17 at 2 p.m. at the Central Library. Participants must register for the tea event. The series began on Jan. 9 and will last until Feb. 16. For more information, call 703-746-1751 or visit alexandria.lib.va.us to see a listing of other events for “Mercy Street.”

For these pictures and more go to afro.com/slideshows.

The Afro-American, January 16, 2016 - January 22, 2016

Grooversize “Body by Mike” Go hard Team

Thousands of residents from the metropolitan area attended the annual NBC4 Health and Fitness Expo on Jan. 9 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Northwest D.C. There were a variety of health and fitness vendors and organizations on hand to provide information and tips on staying healthy and fit. Healthy food presentations were also provided.

The Top Ladies of Distinction, Prince George’s County Chapter; Miss Trinidad & Tobago United Nations 2015 Kenisha Salvary and Miss D.C. Teen 2016 Dylan Murphy

The Smooth N EZ Dance Troop, Miss D.C. Teen 2016 Dylan Murphy , Miss Senior D.C. 2015 Wendy Bridges and Miss Trinidad & Tobago United Nations 2015 Kenisha Salvary

NBC Anchor Shomari Stone Members of the D.C. National Guard Iverson Mall Walkers /Line Dancers

The National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Miss D.C. Teen 2016 Dylan Murphy

Rosemary Giles and Miss Senior D.C. 2015 Wendy Bridges Paige Moseley, Stacy Moseley and Payton Moseley

NBC Reporters Jason Pugh and Chris Gordon

NBC Anchor Aaron Gilchrist and AFRO D.C. General Manager Edgar Brookins

NBC Anchors Angie Goff and Jim Handly

Precious Alpha, Maisia Alpha, Cherise McDaniels and Tanisha Cliett, KOHL’s Cares Community Program and Children National Health System members

Jamie Petty, John Rogers, Liz Goodwill and Tina and Jeff Mitchell, members of IDLife

Shireka McCarthey, Brenda Johnson, Gloria Ward-Ravenell, Madeline Long-Gill, Kamiah Pondexter and Josephine Long, members of Supporting Our Sisters International

100 Black Men of Greater Washington are Darnell Parker, Cleveland Woodson and Travis Reed

Florence Champagne, Diane Fagan and Eva Maciejewski, members of The National Coalition for Women with Heart Disease

Sherry and Joe Madison Photos by Rob Roberts

To see more of these photos and purchase them visit afro.com/slideshows. To purchase this digital photo page contact Takiea Hinton: thinton@afro.com or 410.554.8277.